OOI-CGSN Team Completes First Standalone AUV Cruise at Pioneer MAB Array

The Ocean Observatories Initiative’s (OOI) Coastal and Global Scale Nodes (CGSN) team recently conducted their first standalone small vessel Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) cruise at the Pioneer Mid-Atlantic Bight (MAB) Array. Aboard the R/V Virginia, team members Andy Robinson, Collin Dobson, and Dan Bogorff successfully completed dock testing of their launch and recovery systems before heading offshore to carry out AUV transects through the array.

The mission utilized two REMUS600 AUVs, equipped with a variety of scientific instruments, including CTDs (conductivity, temperature, depth), fluorometers, dissolved oxygen sensors, nitrate sensors, photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) sensors, and ADCPs (acoustic doppler current profilers). These tools provide essential data for understanding ocean conditions and biogeochemical processes at the Pioneer MAB array.

This accomplishment highlights the OOI-CGSN team’s dedication to advancing autonomous AUV ocean exploration and data-driven research.

(c): Collin Dobson