Components are key

Credit: Kris Newhall ©WHOI

Credit: Rebecca Travis©WHOI.

Credit: Rebecca Travis©WHOI.

Credit: Rebecca Travis©WHOI.

The subsurface moorings at Station Papa have various components that are all important for the collection of scientific data.  The orange spheres provide buoyancy to keep the mooring vertical and instruments at the desired depth.  The controller cage manages  the sampling rate and data collection from the oceanographic instruments on the mooring.  The profiler is a vehicle that can move up and down the mooring sampling the water column.  The glass balls provide backup buoyancy when the mooring is released from the anchor so the mooring and all its data can be recovered.