DEVELOPMENT OF AN EXPENDABLE PARTICLE SENSOR

IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO RAPIDLY ASSESS THE THREE DIMENSIONAL STRUCTURE OF PARTICULATE MATTER IN THE SEA, WE PROPOSE TO DEVELOP AN EXPENDABLE PARTICLE SENSOR. THE PARTICLE SENSOR WILL HAVE SUFFICIENT RESOLUTION FOR USE IN OLIGOTROPIC WATER. THE DEVICE CAN BE USED REGARDLESS OF AMBIENT LIGHTING CONDITIONS. BOTH FORWARD AND BACKSCATTERING SENSORS WILL BE EVALUATED. THE FEASIBILITY OF USING MULTIPLE WAVELENGTHS TO MEASURE PARTICLE SIZE DISTRIBUTIONS AND CHLOROPHYLL CONTENT IN ADDITION TO PARTICLE CONCENTRATION WILL BE ASSESSED. PRELIMINARY RESULTS WITH A FORWARD SCATTERING DEVICE SHOW EXCELLENT RESOLUTION (0.5 UG/1). MATHEMATICAL MODELLING OF THE CANDIDATE FORWARD AND BACKSCATTERING DEVICES INDICATE SUFFICIENT POWER OUTPUT FOR MARINE ENVIRONMENTS. THE EXPENDABLE DEVICE REQUIRES NOT ONLY SENSOR DEVELOPMENT BUT ALSO A GREAT DEAL OF ELECTRONICS DEVELOPMENT. WE PROPOSE TO USE SIPPICAN DELIVERY SYSTEMS AND THEY HAVE AGREED TO COOPERATE WITH USE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS SYSTEM. DURING PHASE I WE PROPOSE TO INTEGRATE THE SENSOR AND ELECTRONICS PACKAGE AND TO TEST AND CALIBRTE IT IN THE LABORATORY AND FIELD.