Resources for Marine Science
The Kaholo
The
GPS, acoustic depth sounders, VHF radios, AIS receiver, anemometer, digital and analog compasses, and so on. On Kaholo we house several oceanographic and biological research instruments, the following is a list of the most commonly used instruments and their function:
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CTD: The CTD measures conductivity (salinity), temperature, and depth (using pressure). Our CTD is also outfitted with a pH probe and fluorimeter to measure chlorophyll concentration.
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ADCP: The Acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) measure water current direction and speeding using the Doppler effect of sound waves scattered back from particles within the water column.
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“Holey-sock” Current Drogue System: The “holey-sock” current drogue system is a ‘low-tech’ way of doing the same thing as the ADCP. These drogues are dropped at varying depths (surface, 10 meters, 20 meters, 30 meters, etc.) within the offshore ocean and we will follow them around for a period of time documenting in what direction they are moving. This lets us see how stacked parcels of water can be moving in differing directions.
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Plankton Nets: These are used in many marine
biology and biological oceanography labs to take a sub-sample of microscopic animals that cannot swim independently of the currents. -
Box Corer, Van Veen Grab, and Mini Multicorer: These are all sediment sampling devices that can be used to look at animals living in the sand or accumulation of sand/silt to the sea floor over time.
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Niskin bottles: Niskin bottles are hung from the wire connected to the
Kaholo at specific distances apart from one another in order to collect uncontaminated water samples at several depths at one site. These water samples can be brought back to the lab and tested for water quality parameters such as pH, dissolved oxygen, nitrates, phosphates, salinity, etc.
Specifications
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Dimensions: 42 ft. x 20 ft.
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Ship Type: twin diesel catamaran
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Year Built: 1983
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Captain: Brian Quinn
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Commonly Used Instruments: CTD, ADCP, "Holey-sock", Plankton Nets, Box Corer, Van Veen Grab, Mini Multicorer, Niskin Bottles
About the Crew
Right now the members of the Kaholo crew are Captain Brian Quinn, First Mate Sarah Severino, and Deck Hand Naomi Hughes. Captain Quinn received his BA from Hawaii Loa College. He was
Association for the Sciences of Limnology & Oceanography (ASLO)
Association of Zoos & Aquariums
Marine Advanced Technology Education
National Association of Marine Laboratories
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) - (select Advanced Search, Dept. of Commerce, NOAA)