The Shallow Water Mooring was specifically designed for the Pioneer Mid-Atlantic Bight Array, enabling detailed sampling of the water column to within just a few meters of the ocean surface in depths of 20–30 meters.
At the heart of this system is an autonomous profiling vehicle known as a Prawler. Powered by the natural motion of the surface buoy, the Prawler ratchets up and down the mooring’s riser wire, collecting key ocean measurements including salinity, temperature, pressure, dissolved oxygen, and fluorescence.
The data gathered by the Prawler is transmitted to shore in near-real time via satellite, giving researchers continuous insight into dynamic coastal conditions and helping track changes in the region’s marine environment.
Photo Credit: Rebecca Travis, WHOI
Photo Credit: Rebecca Travis, WHOI