Dr. Jochen Klinke Depoying the UCTD.

The Oceanscience Group reports continued success of itslatest generation UnderwayCTD (UCTD), the “green” sensor deployment system that is designed to allow repeatable research grade CTD casts while underway at over 10 kt.
In the Pacific Ocean, the UCTD will provide opportunistic CTD profiles during transits in the ITOP (Impact of Typhoons on Ocean in Pacific) project, while tropical Atlantic researchers in the PIRATA (Prediction and Research Moored Array in the Atlantic) program will deploy the UCTD to similarly increase their vessel productivity on inter-buoy transits. Farther south, after providing important high-quality upper ocean salinity measurements in the Antarctic, the South African CSIR (Council for Scientific and Industrial Research) UCTD system used on the Southern Ocean Carbon - Climate Observatory study has defrosted and is being readied for the next campaign. Environmentally conscious Fisheries and Coast Guard organizations have also selected the UCTD to help lessen their environmental footprint in the ocean by reducing their use of expendable probes. By using the UCTD, underway profiles can be obtained with no trace left on the seafloor.
Dr Adrian McDonald, Oceanscience Sales Executive commented, "The system's portability and ease of operation, combined with the high quality data generated, are key factors in our customers' purchase decisions - the UCTD gives them an option they never had before".
Building on the success of the UnderwayCTD system, Oceanscience has partnered with Valeport (U.K.) to develop an underway sound velocity (SV) profiling system. This new approach to sound-speed profiling is aimed at the hydrographic survey market, where stopping a ship for a sound-speed profile means significant loss of active survey time. The UnderwaySV system includes the new Valeport RapidSV "freefall" sound velocity profiler, allowing hydrographic surveyors the opportunity of fast, high quality SV profiles without ever having to stop a ship and suspend survey operations. The system offers a predictable tow path allowing it to be used when other equipment is being towed. The UnderwaySV, first displayed at the Oceanology 2010 exhibition, is scheduled for release in fall 2010, with several pre-production orders already taken.
Email amcdonald@oceanscience.com