The Bentho-Pelagic Processes Section of the Alfred Wegener Institute has been operating an Inspection Class ROV for some time to explore the structure and dynamics of polar animal communities in their natural environment and in response to climate change. In order to extend the ROV’s capabilities, the project group was looking for an oceanographic data logger to record conductivity, pressure, temperature, pH, ambient light, oxygen saturation, fluorescence and turbidity. While the focus was on the required high accuracy of the sensors, AWI was also severely restricted in their search by the little available space on the vehicle and the maximum allowed extra weight caused by a logger.

The choice fell on a RBRmaestro³ data logger, which fulfilled all above requirements and which was delivered to AWI in December. With a total length of 587<nbsp;>mm and a diameter of only 125<nbsp;>mm (excluding the clamp-mounted, cabled sensors), it was possible to additionally accommodate the data logger on the ROV without any significant side effects to other installed components.

We are happy that we could provide the project group at the Alfred Wegener Institute with a suitable data logger for their vehicle and hope to have advanced their work with it. We are looking forward to the final integration of the logger into the ROV and the data of the first dives with the vehicle.

© Michael Hüne