Betreff: BP Deploying Advanced Unmanned Water Quality Monitoring Vehicles in Gulf of Mexico Datum: Wed, 25. Aug 2010 19:18:37
BP Deploying Advanced Unmanned Water Quality Monitoring Vehicles in Gulf of Mexico
THEODORE, AL - As part of its long term monitoring and research program in the Gulf of Mexico, BP is deploying a new technology that will enable nearly constant monitoring by two satellite-controlled, unmanned vehicles.
The vehicles, known as Wave Gliders and developed by Liquid Robotics in Silicon Valley, California, get their propulsion power from wave action and use solar power for their electronics. They will be deployed beginning today and begin a months-long, ongoing research program in the Gulf of Mexico. This is the first application of this technology in the Gulf of Mexico.
"These vehicles will provide us a steady stream of data about water quality and should significantly increase the available data for ongoing research activity," said Mike Utsler, chief operating office of BP's Gulf Coast Restoration Organization. "We will initially deploy the Wave Gliders between the Macondo well and the shoreline, and look to expand from there in the future."
The unique technology allows deployment of sensors persistently, for the long term, to monitor key environmental variables. including:
water quality - detection of any emulsified, dissolved and dispersed oil in water; phytoplankton (chlorophyll); colored, dissolved oxygen matter (CDOM) and other scientifically useful variables
marine mammal vocalizations
weather and water temperature data.
"Initially we will be calibrating a set of nine optical sensors to monitor water quality, including trace amounts of dispersed oil, and will then add acoustic monitoring of marine mammal activity," said Roger Hine, president and CEO of Liquid Robotics. "We look forward to working with BP on this extended research program." The first two Wave Glider vehicles will be deployed to the vicinity of the Macondo well; a second pair will be deployed in September. Data collected by the vehicles will be relayed via satellite and posted on a public website.
Note to editors: A fact sheet with more details of the Wave Glider technology is included at the bottom of this document. Also, access multimedia by going to the ftp site here:
http://www.liquidr.com/PressKit/ Username is LRIMedia Password is Pre55Kit
Further information
BP Gulf of Mexico response: www.bp.com/gulfofmexicoresponse BP Press Office London +44 20 7496 4076 BP Press Office, US: +1 281 366 0265 Wave Glider Fact Sheet
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