WHOI Awards NortekUSA Contract for Aquadopp Current Meters to Support OOI Program

The Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI), a project funded by the NSF is planned as a networked infrastructure of science-driven sensor systems to measure the physical, chemical, geological and biological variables in the ocean and seafloor.

Under a three-year contract with an additional one-year option, NortekUSA will provide the Aquadopp acoustic Doppler current meters necessary to support the scientific measurement objectives of the OOI.  The contract calls for a combination of 300 m and 3000 m Aquadopp current meters.  The three OOI partnering institutions (WHOI, OSU, and Scripps) may submit delivery orders at any time under the terms of the contract.

Designed to function as a fully integrated system, OOI will collect and disseminate data on coastal, regional and global scales. Through a unique cyberinfrastructure, OOI will make ocean observing data available to anyone with an internet connection. Greater knowledge of the ocean’s interrelated systems is vital for increased understanding of their effects on biodiversity, climate change, ocean and coastal ecosystems, environmental health and climate.

The Nortek Aquadopp current meters are already in use widely across North America and the world in large scale, long term monitoring programs.  Nortek Aquadopp customers in North America include WHOI, Columbia U.-LDEO, U. Miami-RSMAS, TAMU-College Station, Scripps, NOAA-PMEL, U. Victoria-NEPTUNE, CICESE, and PEMEX.