Open AccessA Deep Cabled Observatory: Biology and Physics in the Abyss
Author(s) -
Howe Bruce M.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
eos, transactions american geophysical union
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.316
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 2324-9250
pISSN - 0096-3941
DOI - 10.1002/2014eo470001
Subject(s) - observatory , context (archaeology) , abyssal zone , remote sensing , seafloor spreading , oceanography , geology , marine engineering , environmental science , engineering , physics , astronomy , paleontology
The ALOHA Cabled Observatory (ACO) is the deepest operating observatory on the planet, providing power and communications to scientific instruments on the seafloor. In the future, ACO will add water column measurements, from the seafloor to the surface, using moorings and undersea vehicles. Recent results from video monitoring of deep‐sea life and from temperature sensors illustrate the benefit of and need for long‐term, sustained, continuous sampling in this abyssal context. The observatory is located at Station ALOHA (A Long‐Term Oligotrophic Habitat Assessment), 100 kilometers north of Oahu, at 4728‐meter water depth (Figure 1, top).