Adaptive Mapping of the Gulf Dead Zone with AutonomousSurface Vehicles

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT: Gliders alone are incapable of monitoring the shallower regions of the hypoxic zone under conditions when the density gradient is strong, therefore surface vehicles are required to autonomously collect a suite of oceanographic observations from surface waters and profile this portion of the hypoxic zone. Autonomous Surface Vehicles, LLC (ASV, LLC) is partnering with Integral Consulting Inc. to research and develop adaptive profil ing capabilities. The development will enable adaptive profiles to be conducted in water depths ranging from shallower than 5 m to greater than 120 m. An autonomous surface vehicle (e.g., ASV C-Worker 5), equipped with a profiling conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) system, will be capable of performing autonomous, adaptive, water quality profiles to provide real-time CTD, dissolved oxygen (DO), turbidity, pH, and chlorophyll concentration data between the water's surface and to within 1 m of the seabed using altimeter feedback. This high spatial resolution water quality data will be telemetered in real-time to the GCOOS repository.SUMMARY OF ANTICIPATED RESULTS: This development will enhance autonomous hypoxia mapping capabilities for surface, subsurface, and near-bottom waters of the Northern Gulf of Mexico (NGOMEX) by expanding our spatial and temporal monitoring at lower costs. It directly benefits our efforts in mapping the mid-summer hypoxic zone to generate the metric used by the Hypoxia Task Force to assess progress toward their Coastal Goal to reduce the zone to 5000 km2 and will advance hypoxia forecast models that are currently data starved.