Instrument: SLOWDROP Optical Profiler

Dataset: 
phytoplankton
Instrument: 
SLOWDROP Optical Profiler
Instrument Short Name: SLOWDROP
Instrument Description:

The SLOWDROP Optical Profiler is a free-falling instrument package that "has a Sea-Bird 911+ CTD, two multiwavelength absorption meters (WetLabs ac-9), and a multiexcitation spectrofluorometer (WetLabs SAFIRE) as its basic configuration. The package is deployed on a loose data tether, with sufficient buoyancy on the package to obtain descent rates of 15-20 cm/s. These slow descent rates allow data acquisition on centimeter spatial scales and result in multiparameter characterization of small-scale features." (Cowles, et al.,1998)

References: Cowles, T.J., et al., 1998. Small-scale Planktonic Structure: Persistence and Trophic Consequences. Oceanography, Vol. 11(1), pp. 4-9.

PI supplied instrument name: SLOWDROP Optical Profiler
Dataset-specific description

This free-falling profiling system provided high resolution vertical profiles of temperature,salinity, density (using associated CTD), along with bioptical properties. In addition, the optical instruments on the SLOWDROP profiler also provided calibration for the ac-9 and fluorometers used on the SeaSoar.