PRINCIPAL 

 INVESTIGATOR(S) 



Craig D. Taylor 



Biology Department 



Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution 



Woods Hole, MA 02543 



Kenneth W. Doherty 



Department of Applied Physics and Engineering 

 Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution 

 Woods Hole, MA 02543 



PROJECT TITLE 



MOORED INSTRUMENT FOR TIME-SERIES STUDIES OF 

 PRIMARY PRODUCTION AND OTHER MICROBIAL RATE 

 PROCESSES 



AMOUNT OF FUNDING FY 1993: $132 K 



SUMMARY OF GOALS 



Our laboratory has endeavored to reduce the temporal disparity between key biological 

 measurements, and correlative high resolution physical and biophysical measurements, as well 

 as to provide a means for investigating underlying physiological response of microorganisms to 

 changes in the environment. Under recent DOE funding we have built a Time Series - 

 Submersible Incubation Device (TS-SID), a mooring-compatible, automated instrument for 

 performing multiple in situ microbial incubation experiments. Incubations are performed under 

 conditions that accurately simulate the environment and requires no involvement of the 

 investigator other than the analysis of samples at the end of the deployment. Because most of 

 the labor intensive manipulations have been automated in this instrument it is possible to greatly 

 increase the frequency of measurement in biological time series studies (up to several 

 measurements per day) for directly quantifying the effects of seasonal or episodic physical 

 phenomena upon biological activities such as phytoplankton primary production. 



SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL SAMPLING SCALES 



The temporal scale of measurements will range from 4 measurements per day to 

 measurements every several days. The exact duration of a deployment will depend upon 

 frequency of sampling. Instruments possess 6 mo. longevity but will likely be finished with 

 measurements before that Ideal deployment period is 3 mo. Spatial and depth dependent scale 

 will be a function of the number of instruments available (probably 3-4). 



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