Washington Offshore Profiler Mooring

The Coastal Endurance Washington Offshore Profiler Mooring is located on the Continental Slope, approximately 550 meters deep. The Continental Shelf-Slope area off the Washington coast is a highly productive, dynamic upwelling environment. Upwelling brings nutrients to the surface sparking primary production and fueling the food web. In recent years, upwelling has also brought onto the shelf hypoxic, low oxygen, waters that can be harmful to organisms in the area. By sampling in this area, the OOI seeks to gain better insight into upwelling dynamics of this system. Like other Coastal Profiler Moorings, the Endurance Washington Offshore Profiler Mooring contains a Wire-Following Profiler that houses instruments. The Wire-Following Profiler moves through the water column along the mooring riser, continuously sampling ocean characteristics over a specified depth interval (15 meters below sea surface to 3 m above the bottom).