Map of dissolved oxygen made by the Fetch1 AUV

Figure 2. Map of dissolved oxygen made by the Fetch1 autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) performing a "yo-yo" maneuver over a coral reef in Florida. Large packets of lower oxygen water, called "coherent structures" because they persist for many minutes to hours, were found over these reefs. We are interested in seeing whether this is a sign of reef degradation. We are predicting we won’t find these lowered-oxygen water masses in Bonaire, but we won’t know until we measure the physical and chemical environment. Image courtesy of Bonaire 2008: Exploring Coral Reef Sustainability with New Technologies expedition.

Related Links

Bonaire 2008: Exploring Coral Reef Sustainability with New Technologies

Bonaire 2008: Exploring Coral Reef Sustainability with New Technologies: Oceanography

NOAA Ocean Explorer Gallery

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