Page 52: of Marine Technology Magazine (March 2020)

Tech Files

Helping ocean researchers obtain critical, high-resolution measurements at a lower cost nderstanding the three-dimensional nature of Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Department of Me- the ocean is becoming a critical focal point of chanical and Aerospace Engineering at UC San Diego, and ocean research, but it can be a costly affair. co-founder of Del Mar Oceanographic.

Paired with Nortek current pro? lers, Del Further offshore, costs continue to mount. Here, instruments

UMar Oceanographic’s Wirewalker is giving are lowered down and pulled up through the water column by researchers from around the globe a cost-effective way to diesel-powered winches on a ship.

answer vital questions surrounding the functioning of ocean Together with Dr. Robert Pinkel, Distinguished Professor processes. This information helps improve environmental (Emeritus) at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and co- monitoring and climate forecasting, which in turn assists in founder of Del Mar Oceanographic, Lucas has developed a developing measures to adapt to our changing climate. cost-effective and easy-to-use mechanism for gathering such

Information on the three-dimensional structure of the ocean two-dimensional data – the Wirewalker, a platform that can is proving increasingly vital for multiple research projects. safely move instruments throughout the water column to col-

These include characterizing the ocean mixed layers in order lect data. “The challenge is to see enough of the ocean in a to improve weather and climate forecasting, monitoring envi- single experiment that we can ? gure out how it works,” Pinkel ronmental conditions, and exploring co-located measurements says.

of physical and biological variability to unravel the links be- tween physical processes and biological productivity. More Ocean Info

Powered solely by wave energy captured by a bobbing ? oat

Combating escalating costs of ocean measurements at the surface and a weight suspended in the water column

In coastal waters, physical and biological measurements are on a suspension wire, the Wirewalker propels itself down the often taken from a single instrument attached to a permanent wire to the desired maximum pro? ling depth. At this point, the structure such as a pier, or from a series of instruments dis- Wirewalker loosens its grip on the wire and begins to record tributed along the length of a mooring. “A single instrument data from the attached instruments as it slowly returns up the attached to a permanent structure doesn’t provide information wire to the surface – powered entirely by the platform’s own regarding the vertical ocean structure, which is all-important. buoyancy. Once back at the surface, the Wirewalker re-estab-

A series of instruments along a mooring is expensive, espe- lishes its grip on the wire, ready for another downward cycle.

cially if many types of measurements are to be collected,” “Typical instruments record a signal as a function of time explains Dr. Andrew J. Lucas. He is Assistant Professor at at whatever position they are located,” Pinkel explains. “The

Nortek and Del Mar Oceanographic are collaborating to The Wirewalker is a platform that can safely move instru- give researchers a cost-effective way to answer ques- ments throughout the water column to collect data on tions surrounding the functioning of ocean processes. the vertical ocean structure.

March 2020 52

MTR

MTR #2 (50-63).indd 52 MTR #2 (50-63).indd 52 2/27/2020 9:24:16 AM2/27/2020 9:24:16 AM