The Surveying Coastal Ocean Autonomous Profiler (SCOAP): Development and Demonstration

University Of Rhode Island, Kingston RI

Investigators

Abstract

The PI requests funding to develop an autonomous surface craft (ASC) SCOAP as a sampling platform for material transport rates and pathways. In this project a mobile platform for interdisciplinary sampling (the Surveying Coastal Ocean Autonomous Profiler, SCOAP) will be developed by redesigning and enhancing an available ASC. The enhancements include maximizing its seaworthiness, lengthening the duration of unattended deployments, and making it capable of safe marine operations in waterways with heavy vessel traffic, fixed and mobile fishing activity, and vandalism risks. SCOAP has potential to substantially advance the ability of coastal oceanographers to measure and investigate material transport processes. It can host suitable sensors to detect any parameter, and simultaneously measures quantities from multiple disciplines, so will help oceanographers from different areas of expertise integrate their studies. Broader Impacts: The broader impacts would be a new autonomous multi-sensor vehicle that can provide long-term measurements in the coastal ocean. This effort has the potential to develop a significant new tool for studying a variety of coastal processes. The project includes graduate and undergraduate students for the engineering development and field work.