By Georgia Haydock

Scientific decisions are only as good as the data on which they are based. In the face of growing demand for reliable, high-resolution and cost-effective ocean data, scientists are under pressure to do more with less.

A technology designed to fill this gap is AML Oceanographic’s Moving Vessel Profiler (MVP), an automated, real-time underway profiling system. Backed by more than 25 years of expertise, thousands of successful missions, and millions of individual casts, the MVP is a proven tool for optimized, cutting-edge ocean data collection. Long relied upon for hydrographic survey work, the MVP is now being embraced by leading scientific teams as a game changer for ocean science applications.

Compromising on data density, reliability or operational efficiency should not be an option. Whether it’s monitoring coastal systems, investigating climate-driven shifts, or tracking water quality after extreme events, the unique vertical profiling technology of the MVP is a highly strategic choice.

Why MVP for Science?

The MVP was designed for high-density water column profiles collected continuously and in real time, making it ideal for scientific applications. Data density isn’t just a luxury; it’s a requirement for accuracy and confidence. Gaps or inconsistencies in data force scientists to interpolate or make assumptions, thus introducing uncertainty and error. The MVP transforms water column sampling from a handful of sporadic casts to hundreds or even thousands of high-resolution profiles without interrupting operations. With the MVP, you get more data per kilometer of ocean covered, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of the water column. For projects tracking subtle environmental changes such as nutrient gradients or turbidity plumes, this level of detail is critical to understand the behavior and implications of such features.

Ocean conditions change quickly. With real-time data collection, scientists are able to detect dynamic and localized phenomena as they occur and modify sampling routines on the fly. For example, after detecting a high-interest area such as a turbidity spike, you can re-route immediately to sample in greater detail. If you identify a low-variability area, you can shift focus to a zone with more scientific value. Decisions can be made without waiting for post-mission analysis, transforming research strategies from reactive to proactive. In turn, scientists are able to avoid wasting resources on low-impact areas and avoid redundant coverage.

The MVP is designed for continuous profiling. Whereas traditional CTD casts require stopping the vessel for every profile, the MVP deploys and recovers the tow body to its towed position while underway, eliminating the need for human intervention. This is a major efficiency gain: hundreds of profiles may be taken in the time it would normally take to get a handful.

A powerful tool when used in isolation, the MVP can also augment existing processes. Take a rosette sampler, for instance. With a deepwater MVP, a crew may be able to take fewer rosette samples, which typically use 2 to 5 hr. of static ship time, and complement the data with underway profiles to capture what’s happening between these casts. The two tools in tandem can improve operational efficiency and enhance data collection.

By improving both the quality and quantity of data collected per hour, mission ROI increases, and ship time—one of the most expensive resources in marine research—is maximized.

Third-Party Sensor Integration

The MVP is a highly versatile platform, designed to integrate the full suite of AML Oceanographic’s X2change field-swappable sensor heads, as well as most third-party instrumentation available to end-users.

The MVP is available in several formats: from smaller and all-electric to larger electrohydraulic platforms. Various sizes of tow bodies provide the ability to deploy not only the core hydrographic instrumentation (sound velocity, pressure, conductivity, and temperature), but also a wide array of oceanographic and scientific instruments. Currently, more than 15 different third-party sensors have been successfully integrated onto MVP tow bodies to support scientific missions, such as the Sea-Bird Scientific ECO Triplet and the SBE 18 pH sensor. Many customers request to configure the Rinko III dissolved oxygen sensor by JFE Advantech, the ECO FLNTU Instrument by Sea-Bird Scientific, and the SBE 49 FastCAT CTD by Sea-Bird Scientific.

AML’s MVPX2 instrument was designed to accommodate expansion ports, allowing the smaller tow bodies to support up to six parameters (X2change or other). The larger tow body design also incorporates a data telemetry module (DTM), offering a number of additional ports (bulkheads) that allow for both analog and serial instrumentation. With each instrument measuring up to four parameters, scientists could measure 10 to 12 parameters in the water column continuously while underway. The DTM also incorporates a power line mode and multiplexing, feeding these sensor outputs into one streamlined signal that sends instrumentation data from the tow body to the lab.

For all MVP operations, the systems require a pressure sensor for tow body depth. Outside of this, any restrictions come down simply to packaging: the instrumentation or sensor must physically fit into the tow body mechanically. Our dedicated team is ready and willing to find creative solutions to the configuration demands of your mission.

 

 

Case Studies

A small MVP was deployed recently as part of NASA’s Sub-Mesoscale Ocean Dynamics Experiment (S-MODE), a study of the small-scale weather patterns of the ocean: “The MVP30-350 worked great on our final S-MODE cruise, and we are pleased with the quality of the data,” said Tom Farrar, principal investigator of the NASA project and a senior scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. “The automatic profiling saved us a lot of the labor effort compared to a system we have that requires manual operation of the winch.”

In other recent work, a large MVP is in use by the Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique for an upcoming research project. This MVP will deploy a number of third-party environmental sensors, including but not limited to the Rinko III dissolved oxygen sensor, SBE 18 pH sensor and the Sea-Bird Scientific SUNA V2 nitrate sensor. “The ocean is full of dynamic structures just a few kilometers across that can change within days, yet they have an outsized influence on our climate, marine life, and the exchange of heat and carbon with the atmosphere,” said Sabrina Speich, a professor of physical oceanography and climate sciences at Laboratoire de Météorologie Dynamique. “Until now, these small-scale processes have been extremely difficult to observe in three dimensions and in real time. The MVP300 is a game changer. It allows us to profile the ocean down to the abyss while the ship is underway, capturing physical, chemical and biological data at unprecedented resolution. With it, we can finally map how these fleeting features work and better understand their role in shaping the climate system.”

Conclusion

As a platform for real-time, underway profiling, the MVP is far more than just a hydrographic survey tool: it’s now redefining what’s possible for ocean science. Fully compatible with both AML and third-party sensors, it provides the flexibility to build the data package your research mission demands. From climate research to coastal monitoring, the MVP helps you collect more data, waste less resources and act faster.

Connect with our team today to learn more about making your scientific mission more efficient at: sales@amloceanographic.com.

 

Georgia Haydock is the content strategist at AML Oceanographic.