Scientists have a better understanding of ocean biology and chemistry thanks to a new underwater robot named Clio. Designed to improve how samples are gathered from the ocean, the autonomous underwater vehicle is about the size of a refrigerator.
Clio was developed in an engineering partnership between Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, and in scientific collaboration with the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, and can operate under water for 12 to 14 hours and dive nearly four miles deep.
Once Clio is lowered off a ship, it propels itself to the bottom of the seafloor using a pair of thrusters and then stops at a series of pre-programmed depths to filter water and collect samples. The large volumes of biomass Clio is able to collect helps scientists detect and analyze what is living in the water and how it utilizes nutrients to function. In turn, this helps them learn more about the ocean’s microbes and food webs.
John “Chip” Breier, chief scientist of the sea trials, lead principal investigator of the project and foundation grantee, says “The long-term goal of Clio is to lower the barriers to completing a global survey of marine microbiology and biochemistry. Ultimately, the vehicle’s capabilities will greatly expand the observational capacity of our oceanographic research fleet.”
A story from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution gives more specifics on the wonders of Clio and how it is accelerating scientific discovery.
The foundation’s support to WHOI is intended to help scientists overcome many current sampling limitations, particularly with large volume sampling. Mak Saito, a principal investigator on the project and also a foundation grantee as a Marine Microbiology Initiative Investigator, points out that “in large survey programs where we are intensively sampling many unique locations in the ocean, Clio will greatly improve efficiency to be able to move one operation off the ship’s wire and onto an AUV."
The work performed by WHOI is part of the foundation’s Marine Microbiology Initiative and a specific aspect of the portfolio aimed at enabling scientists to ask new questions in ways previously not possible through the use of new instrumentation, tools and technology.
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