Application of Ecological Sensors to Penglai Seafloor Observatory

Abstract

With the development of marine monitoring technology, marine environmental monitoring has been gradually developing towards continuous, rapid, and real-time online monitoring from time-consuming, labor-intensive laboratory monitoring. The seafloor has become the third observation platform for earth sciences following surface observation, aerial telemetry, and remote sensing. The seafloor observatory is gradually becoming a research hotspot in the field of marine technology. National Ocean Technology Center has developed a long-term online ecological environment monitoring demonstration system based on a seafloor loop network platform, including the seafloor network platform equipped with the function of two-way power supply and communication, and pH and dissolved oxygen sensors, chlorophyll and turbidity sensors, and optical nitrate sensors with independent intellectual property rights. The system was deployed in Penglai seas, Shandong province to conduct a sea test for 6 consecutive months. Consequentially, it realized the integration of ecological parameters and long-term real-time continuous monitoring of the marine ecological environment and obtained a lot of real-time ecological monitoring data. The successful establishment of the marine ecological observatory plays an exemplary role in constructing China's seafloor ecological observatory. Two comparison analyses between the sensors and with the national standard method specified in GB 17378–2007 The Specifications for Marine monitoring - Part 4: Seawater Analysis (hereinafter referred to as the “GB method”) were conducted during the test. The results showed that the measurement results of each sensor were consistent with those by the GB method, and the long-term changes monitored by the two measurement methods were consistent. The sensor data were highly reliable and accurate, the system and sensors have great application potential in the field of marine environmental monitoring, and they can effectively improve the level of marine ecological monitoring in China.