Today was a significant day for Ocean Networks Canada! The VPS (Vertical Profiling System) was successfully raised to the surface in order to calibrate its instruments. This VPS is the first device in the world to measure the properties of the ocean using a mobile vertical profiling system.
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| The VPS surfaced the water |
The VPS consists of a base platform that rests on the seafloor, and an instrumented float that can be raised and lowered through the water column. The onboard instruments generate water column profiles of salinity, temperature, dissolved gases, nutrients, dissolved organic matter, chlorophyll fluorescence, up/downwelling radiation, and currents. Plankton and fish are imaged with an echosounder and marine mammal vocalizations are detected with a hydrophone. These data also support research on topics such as biological productivity, eastern boundary current physics, and plankton life cycles.
The VPS was deployed in the first leg of the cruise. Since its deployment, the engineering team was testing the winch, which is the crane mechanism controlling its up and down movements. They also tested other instruments, including CTD. They made the CTD tests for different depths and calibrated with the CTD that was on the ship. Today, for the first time VPS was extended to its full length and surfaced the water. Everything went perfectly well! Such a huge world-wide success for Ocean Networks Canada!
Today, Ocean Networks Canada demonstrated once again that it is the leading pioneer of ocean observatories in the world.
Goksenin Sen
Marine Educator
Reference for VPS: NEPTUNE Canada Invitation to Science
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