Robotic oceanography: Revealing ocean-scale biochemical structure with a
deep-diving autonomous vehicle
Abstract
This manuscript reports on a robot called Clio that we developed
to facilitate basin-scale studies of ocean microbial communities and
their biochemistry, to better understand how marine microorganisms
regulate ocean and Earth system environmental cycles. Clio is
designed to facilitate global-scale studies of ocean biochemistry, to
move vertically through the water column with high precision, and
specifically to return sensor data and samples from large swaths of the
ocean ranging in depths from the surface to 6,000 m. Clio is capable of
flexible, precise vertical motion that few other ocean robots can
perform, and none to our knowledge over this depth range. We tested Clio
extensively over several years, six cruises, and 26 dives, it is now
fully operational and this manuscript describes all that we did to
convince ourselves this was so. In June 2019, it completed its first
large-scale ocean survey, and for which this manuscript will be the
first data presentation.