IMOS Enhancement of Measurements on Ships of Opportunity (SOOP) Facility

The Ship of Opportunity (SOOP) Facility encompasses both the open ocean and coastal waters, in support of short time-scales associated with ocean prediction and the longer term scales of climate research. The aim of the SOOP Facility is to implement an integrated observing system in Australian regional seas that link physical, chemical and biological oceanography. Our ships of opportunity include both commercial vessels on regular routes and research vessels covering more varied routes. \nThe target regions are the boundary current systems off Eastern and Western Australia, the Southern Ocean, the shelf seas across northern Australia, and the Great Barrier Reef. This is achieved by the following specific goals:\n1.\tImplement vessels on suitable routes with an integrated system of measurements including physical and biogeochemical parameters \na.\tMonitor the major boundary currents systems around Australia.\nb.\tMonitor both local processes and the interactions of the boundary currents on the continental shelf \n2.\tProvide in situ input and/or validation to model and data analyses covering the waters around Australia.\n\nInstrument Platforms\n\nHigh-density XBT Sections - Five major (HRX) high-resolution XBT lines provide boundary to boundary profiling, closely spaced sampling to resolve mesoscale eddies, fronts and boundary currents. The lines are repeated 4 times per year with an on-board technician. The routes sample each major boundary current system using available commercial vessel traffic. All of the transects transmit data in real-time.\n \nBiogeochemical Program - uses the RV Southern Surveyor and the l' Astrolabe which sample the critical regions of the Southern Ocean and Australian waters, which have a major impact on CO2 uptake by the ocean and are regions where biogeochemical cycling is predicted to be sensitive to changing climate. Southern Surveyor has a wide spatial coverage and each year covers tropical to sub-polar waters. \n\nAusCPR - To monitor plankton we use the Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR), the only platform that can assess plankton species and be towed behind ships of opportunity. Species-level data are vital to examine mesoscale productivity, biodiversity, and climate impacts on marine ecosystems. Two seasonal routes are operated, in the Southern Ocean, and the East Australian Current\n\nSensors on Tropical Research Vessels - Fixed sensor sets maintained on the 2 tropical research vessels (RV Cape Ferguson and RV Solander). The instruments obtain underway observations of temperature, salinity, chlorophyll, fluorescence, light absorption, and irradiance. \n\nSST Sensors - Implemented on Australian Volunteer Observing Fleet (AVOF) vessels and several passenger ferries. Hull-mounted sensors supply high-quality bulk SST data fed into existing data management systems and broadcast via satellite back to Australia every one to three hours. Radiometers on ferries supply high-quality skin SST data in near real-time. \n\nResearch Vessel Real-time Air-Sea Fluxes - Research vessels have been equipped with "climate quality" met. systems, providing high quality air-sea flux measurements and delivered in near real-time. Data are broadcast via satellite back to Australia daily.

机会船观测设施（Ship of Opportunity Facility, SOOP）涵盖开阔大洋与近岸海域，旨在支撑与海洋预报相关的短时尺度研究，以及气候研究所涉及的长时尺度工作。该设施的目标是在澳大利亚区域海域构建一套融合物理海洋学、化学海洋学与生物海洋学的综合观测系统。本项目的机会船涵盖定期航线的商业船舶，以及航线更为多元的科研船舶。

目标观测区域包括澳大利亚东、西部海域的边界流系统、南大洋、澳大利亚北部陆架海域以及大堡礁海域。该目标通过以下具体任务实现：
1. 在适宜航线上部署搭载综合观测系统的船舶，该系统可采集物理与生物地球化学参数
a. 监测澳大利亚周边主要边界流系统。
b. 监测局地海洋过程，以及边界流与大陆架的相互作用。
2. 为澳大利亚周边海域的数值模式与数据分析提供原位观测输入或验证数据。

观测仪器平台

高密度投弃式温深仪（XBT）测线：五条核心高分辨率XBT测线（HRX）实现跨边界剖面观测，采用密间隔采样方式以解析中尺度涡旋、锋面与边界流结构。每条测线每年开展4次重复观测，观测期间配备随船技术人员。观测航线利用现有商业船舶航线，覆盖每一处主要边界流系统。所有断面观测数据均实现实时传输。

生物地球化学观测项目：依托“南方考察者号”（RV Southern Surveyor）与“阿斯托拉贝号”（l'Astrolabe）两艘调查船，对南大洋与澳大利亚周边海域的关键区域开展采样。这些区域对海洋吸收二氧化碳具有显著影响，且其生物地球化学循环被预测对气候变化极为敏感。“南方考察者号”的观测空间覆盖范围极广，每年可覆盖从热带至副极地的广阔海域。

澳大利亚浮游生物连续记录仪观测项目（AusCPR）：为监测浮游生物，我们采用浮游生物连续记录仪（CPR）——这是唯一可搭载于机会船船尾拖曳、并实现浮游生物物种鉴定的观测平台。物种级别的观测数据对于解析中尺度海洋生产力、生物多样性，以及气候变化对海洋生态系统的影响至关重要。项目设置两条季节性观测航线，分别覆盖南大洋与东澳大利亚洋流海域。

热带科研船搭载传感器系统：在两艘热带科研船“开普·弗格森号”（RV Cape Ferguson）与“索兰德号”（RV Solander）上部署固定传感器组。该套仪器可在船舶航行过程中同步采集温度、盐度、叶绿素、荧光值、光吸收系数与辐照度等数据。

海表温度（SST）传感器：在澳大利亚志愿观测船队（AVOF）船舶与多艘客运渡轮上部署海表温度传感器。船体安装式传感器可采集高质量的体海表温度（bulk SST）数据，这些数据会被接入现有数据管理系统，并通过卫星每1至3小时向澳大利亚本土回传一次。渡轮搭载的辐射计可获取近乎实时的表皮海表温度（skin SST）高质量数据。

科研船实时海气通量观测：所有科研船均已搭载“气候级”气象观测系统，可提供高质量海气通量观测数据，并近乎实时地完成数据回传。观测数据每日通过卫星向澳大利亚本土回传。