Our users have increasingly been inquiring about ROPOS’ ability to perform multibeam surveys during their expeditions. The Korea Ocean Research and Development Institute (KORDI), one of CSSF’s newest clients, also had this specific request for the first leg of their January/February 2012 expedition in the South Pacific. Using ROPOS, KORDI needed to survey three distinct study areas covering a total of approximately 5km2 in as much detail as possible.
In response to their need, CSSF designed and built a multibeam skid, seen in Figure 1, which attaches directly to ROPOS’ through-frame lift system. The multibeam skid was designed with the chief objective to bring all required navigation sensors in a clear frame of reference in order to: (1) reduce any initial offset errors between sensors to a minimum, and (2) to keep the offsets consistent should the skid need to be removed to complete other operational goals.
The skid uses the Reson Seabat 7125 ROV2 with both the 200 and 400 kHz projectors. In addition, it also houses the following required sensors and equipment:
Canada’s national facility for deep-sea research, the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) ROPOS, has made it possible for ocean scientists to conduct research on the ecology of hydrothermal vents, sponge reefs and cold-water corals, and the geochemistry and economic potential of sulphide mineral and gas hydrate deposits, and to begin pioneering work on cabled deep-sea observatories. The Canadian Scientific Submersible Facility (CSSF) and university partners have operated ROPOS since 1996.
The Canadian Scientific Submersible Facility is a nationally registered not-for-profit corporation. Established to manage and operate the ROPOS system once the Department of Fisheries and Oceans could no longer fund underwater research vehicles, the CSSF successfully transferred the ROPOS operation from government to the private sector.
