Scanning the water column

Scanfish

Research vessel Heincke with Scanfish. -image: Friedhelm Schroeder / Hereon-

Scanfish™ is a towed undulating vehicle system. Flaps control the up and down movement of the ‘fish’. Scanfishs™ are designed to carry several oceanographic sensors. While cruising the German Bight, the steady up and down movement generates a curtain-like data stream of millions of data points along the ship track that allows a detailed and quasi-synoptic view of the ocean.

Towed Instrument Chain

Towed Instrument Chain ready for use. -image: Martina Heineke / Hereon-

A Towed Instrument Chain was designed as an array of ten to twenty CTDs placed at different locations on a string. The instrument allows rapid repeat sampling with high horizontal and vertical resolution. The Towed Instrument Chain was developed in order to better observe and understand dynamically important small-scale processes.

Quasi-synoptic view of water temperatures and oxygen saturation from Scanfish™ data during a cruise in the German Bight, 28 July to 5 August 2013. Note the stratification with higher temperatures and larger oxygen values near the surface. (Note: Map not adjusted to north.).