Pre-deployment checkout

Credit: Ed Dever, OSU

Each OOI oceanographic mooring carries more than 20 sensors and takes months to prepare for deployment. To make sure everything is working and ready to deploy, Akhil Salim and Kristin Politano review the checklist at the mooring’s bottom lander. In the foreground (red disks), is the top of an acoustic Doppler current profiler.  It looks upward and measures water velocity every two meters through the water column. The black hose at the top right connects the bottom of the mooring to the surface buoy and allows power and data transmission from the top to bottom of the mooring.