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www.seadiscovery.com Marine Technology Reporter 35floats, to send a signal when specificdepths are reached. AOML experiments have identified small changes that will greatly improve XBT measurements. Goni is leading this NOAA Research effort. ?If we add two pressure switches - these are very little, the size of the head of a pin - to tell us when theprobe is 100 meters deep and 400 meters deep, then we can correct the errors due to the fall rate coefficients and end up with a probe that will be adequate to do climate studies?, he says. AOML is now investigating ways to create and test a prototype with their recommended changes. Goni stresses that the key to success is simplicity, ?We don?t want to start from scratch. We would like to see a new probe based on the good quali- ties of current probes with just a few improvements we believe need to be introduced. The advantage of this platform is that it?s simple and inex- pensive, so it can be widely used.? An improved XBT probe would be use- ful to climate researchers throughout the scientific community. Ann Gronell Thresher, Ph.D., from Australia?s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation comments, ?I personally would love to see depth signals on the tempera-ture traces from XBTs.? She adds that ?an optimal solution would be two pressure signals on the profile.? With the hard work and innovation of NOAA researchers, more accurate XBT probes will soon be available to scientists for use within and beyond the agency. -Jack Fisher, President Call for a free catalog or visit our web site: jwfishers.com 1953 County St., E. Taunton, MA02718 USA? (800)822-4744(508)822-7330 ? FAX: (508)880-8949 ? email: [email protected] ? www.jwfishers.com MC-1Mini Camera$1,895CT-1 CableTracker with Signal Injector$12,995Hand HeldMetal Detector $1,995$19,995 ROVs$19,995SideScansScan-650Scanningsonar$6,995Diver Held MagDiver Mag 1$8,495Pulse 8XOnly $12,995Proton 4 magProton 4 mag?Your search for ferrous metals begins with Fishers Proton Mags? Metal Detector forMetal Detector forIron and SIron and Steelteel?Fishers Diver Mag 1and boat towed Proton 4magnetometers give thebest cost/performance ratioof any mag on the markettoday. They are the ulti- mate detectors for iron andsteel targets with a 1,500 foot detection range forlarge targets. An altimeter is available as well as boattracking and PC displaysoftware.?Katrina Phillips is a Sea Grant Knauss Fellow in the NOAA Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research. Prior to NOAA Katrina studied loggerhead sea turtle populations for her Master?s degree at the University of Miami-RSMAS. MTR#7 (34-48):MTR Layouts 8/29/2011 2:38 PM Page 35