| NSF Org: |
OCE Division Of Ocean Sciences |
| Recipient: |
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| Initial Amendment Date: | August 19, 2010 |
| Latest Amendment Date: | November 15, 2010 |
| Award Number: | 1029019 |
| Award Instrument: | Standard Grant |
| Program Manager: |
Kandace Binkley
kbinkley@nsf.gov (703)292-7577 OCE Division Of Ocean Sciences GEO Directorate for Geosciences |
| Start Date: | September 1, 2010 |
| End Date: | August 31, 2014 (Estimated) |
| Total Intended Award Amount: | $416,390.00 |
| Total Awarded Amount to Date: | $433,990.00 |
| Funds Obligated to Date: |
FY 2011 = $17,600.00 |
| History of Investigator: |
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| Recipient Sponsored Research Office: |
341 PINE TREE RD ITHACA NY US 14850-2820 (607)255-5014 |
| Sponsor Congressional District: |
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| Primary Place of Performance: |
341 PINE TREE RD ITHACA NY US 14850-2820 |
| Primary Place of
Performance Congressional District: |
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| Unique Entity Identifier (UEI): |
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| Parent UEI: |
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| NSF Program(s): | OCEAN TECH & INTERDISC COORDIN |
| Primary Program Source: |
01001112DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT |
| Program Reference Code(s): |
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| Program Element Code(s): |
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| Award Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Fund Agency Code: | 4900 |
| Assistance Listing Number(s): | 47.050 |
ABSTRACT
The PI requests funding to test the feasibility of instrumenting an unmanned vehicle, the Liquid Robotics Incorporated (LRI) Wave Glider, to run standard oceanographic lines like those found in the California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations (CALCOFI) program. It is intended that Wave Gliders will make the standard set of underway observations currently performed on CALCOFI cruises. By providing a more cost-effective approach to collecting these types of data, Wave Gliders can become integral components of a continental-scale, integrated ocean-observing system. A major part of the proposed research effort involves the development of a scientific quality echo sounder with the appropriate multi-frequency capability, data storage, payload characteristics, and low-power consumption required for successful integration with the Wave Glider. In addition to the proposed use such an echo sounder will support other applications in bioacoustical oceanography and fisheries acoustics that take advantage of the scientific and economical benefits of unmanned vehicles and Lagrangian platforms (e.g., drifters, floats, and gliders).
Broader Impacts:
The wave glider seems like an innovative platform for an echo-sounder because it stays on the surface, has continuous satellite GPS and data telemetry, and the potential for solar charging. An echo-sounding capability on such a platform would be a significant advancement for biological/fisheries research and management. Imagine the benefit of augmenting or even replacing expensive ship operations that currently run echo-sounder transects for fisheries surveys with a fleet of cost efficient gliders that could provide better spatial and temporal coverage. In addition to the development and demonstration of a new sampling technology that may ultimately gain broad utility within the ocean science community the proposed activity will also provide experimental data to support at least one doctoral dissertation and will provide advanced instrumentation development experience to at least one Master of Engineering candidate. The PI has identified a specific doctoral student and an as-yet-undetermined Master of Engineering student who would be supported as graduate research assistants; there is no specific mention of efforts to broaden participation of underrepresented groups.
PROJECT OUTCOMES REPORT
Disclaimer
This Project Outcomes Report for the General Public is displayed verbatim as submitted by the Principal Investigator (PI) for this award. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Report are those of the PI and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation; NSF has not approved or endorsed its content.
The Liquid Robotics Inc. (LRI) Wave Glider is an unmanned mobile platform for ocean environmental sensing that harnesses mechanical energy from waves for propulsion and electrical energy from the sun to power a suite of scientific instruments. The Wave Glider's unique ability to harvest energy from the surrounding environment makes it conducive to long-term monitoring studies and large-scale surveys. Our research has involved developing a multi-frequency echo sounder for deployment with the Wave Glider, with a special focus on applications in fisheries oceanography and ocean observing (Figure 1).
During the project’s final year, we began a collaborative project with the NMFS Northwest Fisheries Science Center, modifying our echo sounder to operate at 38 and 120 kHz (in addition to the original operational frequencies of 70 kHz and 200 kHz). NMFS funded these modifications, which made the system more suitable for fishery assessment surveys of Pacific hake. The system has been field tested in Hawaii, California, and Oregon.Overall, we have been very pleased with the performance of the BioSonics echo sounder mounted in a tow body deployed from the LRI Wave Glider.
Broader Impacts
Both private companies, LRI and BioSonics, are ready to transition the integrated Wave Glider system into a commercial product. We are actively promoting the Wave Glider system as operationally ready for the NMFS west coast acoustic stock assessment surveys for hake and small pelagic species.
Last Modified: 09/04/2014
Modified by: Charles H Greene
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