Low Cost Persistent Environmental Measurement System

The MRV Systems ALAMO™, an A-sized ocean environmental monitoring device has been successfully deployed by air in a wide range of ocean regimes. It was designed for hurricane studies and originally carried only temperature and pressure sensors but has since been adapted to carry Conductivity-Temperature-Depth (CTD) sensors, as well as optical dissolved oxygen (ODO) and photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) sensors. In rapid-profiling mode, the ALAMO can produce over 800 profiles from the sea surface to 300m as quickly as twelve times per day at a cost of less than $30 per profile, excluding transportation and launch. The Phase I effort assessed the baseline ALAMO design with respect to ease of adding sensors, improving reliability, lowering cost-per-profile, and enhancing the prospects for eventual air certification. Particular interest was expressed to add measurement of optical diffuse attenuation coefficient and directional ambient acoustic noise. This Phase II proposal seeks to complete the detailed re-design of the float in order to develop and add those sensor systems, improve air launch ability, and rigorously test the design changes for increased ease of use and robustness overall. In-situ testing of the new sensor systems and creating a final design version for manufacturing is also included.