Guest post: Ms Christian Haag, Mariscope Meerestechnik
Due to COVID-19 global pandemic, several researches around the world have initiated investigations to understand the correlation between the virus dispersion related to environmental factors, the importance of climate change, the anthropogenic impact in the modification of ecosystems and the risk of the appearing of new pandemics. In this scientific field, so relevant to humanity, it is necessary to take into account oceanic research and consider investigations in the deep areas of the oceans.
In the abysmal zones of the oceans, as it is well known to the oceanographic community, thermohaline circulation takes place, which slowly renews the water masses in all the oceans. These ocean belts constitute the “memory” of the oceans, due to the reduced rate at which this exchange takes place. Therefore, studying the deep portion of the oceans is necessary to understand the cycles, their variations and which are the changes that occur on a global scale.
Mariscope, dedicated to marine technology for more than 25 years, has developed and manufactured autonomous camera and lighting systems to be installed in deep moorings, up to 6.000 m. These cameras are often installed on “Landers”: autonomous platforms with multiple sensors that are deployed on the seabed for predetermined periods of time, generally from 1 to 3 years.
The growing scientific demand in the research of diversity and protection of those places with high biological diversity has led the company to the development and manufacture of systems called DROPCAM. These systems are used from small boats and for periods of hours or days. These instruments are more affordable than the alternatives that were available until a few years ago. For their operation, they are deployed autonomously into the sea and left until they finish their mission. After the measurement period finishes, they pop up to surface by themselves.
The DROPCAM 2500 is an equipment that has just been developed for up to 2.500 m deep applications. It contains cameras, lighting, rechargeable batteries, control electronics and stainless steel frames, as well as the buoyancy for that depth. The systems are fully user configurable. 4K and even higher resolution cameras are installed on board. The lighting system is made up of high performance LED cluster systems.
Weighing less than 50 kg for the whole equipment, this kind of system is easy to handle from any small boat and considerably reduces operating costs, including a 360° vision using multiple cameras simultaneously. Its applications can be harnessed in coastal areas allowing users to carry out benthic zone studies without the expense that this requires in the deep ocean.
Typical applications of these systems are deep observation in areas with waste water disposals, aquaculture, fishing grounds, coastal zone management and maritime conservation areas as well as the open ocean, channels and fjords.
Since Mariscope is a science and technology based company, it has always kept in mind the flexibility of its equipment, necessary for each of the work groups. Therefore, this development allows the incorporation of other sensors such as multiparametric probes to obtain oceanographic data.
All the instruments are manufactured by Mariscope Meerestechnik, the company headquarters in Germany.
For more information, contact any of Mariscope´s International contacts:
info@mariscope.cl (Chile)
info@mariscope.de (Alemania)
info@mariscope.com.ar (Argentina)
m.fertig@mariscope.de (España)