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（Ship of Opportunity, SOOP）设施覆盖开放大洋与近岸海域，以支撑海洋预报的短时尺度需求与气候研究的长时尺度研究。该设施的目标是在澳大利亚区域海域构建整合物理海洋学、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与航线更为多样的科研船舶。 本次观测的目标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（Great Barrier Reef）。以下具体目标可实现上述观测愿景： 1. 在合适航线部署搭载集成观测系统的船舶，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. 监测局地海洋过程与大陆架上的边界流相互作用 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数据输入及/或模式验证支持 仪器观测平台 高密度抛射式温盐深剖面仪（Expendable Bathythermograph, XBT）断面：5条核心高分辨率抛射式温盐深剖面仪（High-resolution XBT, HRX）测线实现跨边界剖面观测，采用密间隔采样以解析中尺度涡旋、锋面与边界流特征。每条测线每年由随船技术人员完成4次重复观测。观测航线依托现有商业船舶通航路径，覆盖所有主要边界流系统。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“南方考察号”（Research Vessel Southern Surveyor, RV Southern Surveyor）与“阿斯托拉贝号”（l' Astrolabe）两艘科研船，对南大洋与澳大利亚周边海域的关键区域开展采样——这些区域对海洋二氧化碳（CO₂）吸收量具有显著影响，且其生物地球化学循环被预测对气候变化响应敏感。“南方考察号”空间覆盖范围广，每年可覆盖从热带至副极地的海域。 澳大利亚连续浮游生物记录仪（AusCPR）项目：为监测浮游生物，我们采用连续浮游生物记录仪（Continuous Plankton Recorder, CPR）——这是唯一可搭载于机会船后方拖曳、并能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”（Research Vessel Cape Ferguson, RV Cape Ferguson）与“索兰德号”（Research Vessel Solander, RV Solander）上部署固定传感器组。该套仪器可在航行过程中同步采集温度、盐度、叶绿素、荧光、光吸收度与辐照度数据。 海表温度（Sea Surface Temperature, SST）传感器：在澳大利亚志愿观测船队（Australian Volunteer Observing Fleet, AVOF）及多艘客运渡轮上部署海表温度传感器。船体安装的传感器可采集高质量的体海表温度数据，该数据将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近乎实时地采集高质量的表皮海表温度数据。 科研船实时海气通量观测：科研船已搭载“气候级”气象观测系统，可提供高质量的海气通量观测数据，并近乎实时地回传。所有数据每日通过卫星回传至澳大利亚本土。