When a cadre of university researchers set out to conduct a series of oceanic field experiments, they turned to PME instrumentation to test their thesis. Underwater instrument towers girded with fast temperature and conductivity sensors, as well as vertical velocity measurements were installed near Monterey Bay, California; Eilat, Israel; and Mamala Bay, Hawaii.
This study, funded by the National Science Foundation, the Packard Foundation, the U.S. Binational Science Foundation, and several Stanford Fellowships, made some important observations in the quest for measuring very specific oceanic activity and monitoring changes. This summer, these researchers presented their findings at the 8th International Symposium on Stratified Flows in San Diego.
While intricately specific, studies like these and others funded by the National Science Foundation will go a long way to understanding our changing ecosystem. What do studies like these tell us? For one, they demonstrate how technological advances to measuring the most miniscule of oceanic fluctuation will go a long way to further research that will ultimately help stem the tide of degradation of an ever-increasing fragile ecosystem. One such enterprise, Ocean Observatories Initiative (also funded by the National Science Foundation), hopes to support and promote ocean education among the scientific community, policy makers, and the next generation of young scientists.
PME is excited to partner in this critical work.