TOOLS & TECHNOLOGY
The remote location and depths of Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary make it necessary for researchers to use a wide variety of tools and technology to research, explore, monitor and manage this ocean treasure.
Tools typically used by the sanctuary team include:
RESEARCH VESSEL
The R/V Manta allows sanctuary staff to visit the sanctuary as needed for research, monitoring, enforcement and emergency response. The special design of the vessel allows for great flexibility in the type of operations that can be conducted.
SCUBA GEAR
Scuba gear allows divers to make first-hand observations of the reefs. Divers are, however, limited in the amount of time they can safely spend underwater and how deep they can go. The term SCUBA stands for Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus.
Specially trained technical divers can go much deeper than the average recreational or science diver. To learn more about an expedition using technical diving in the sanctuary, visit the Marine Debris Assessment Expedition page.
DATA BUOYS
Data buoys record information such as sea surface temperature, wind direction and velocity, wave height, current direction, and water velocity at specified depths. These buoys are not necessarily located within sanctuary boundaries, but still provide valuable information about nearby conditions.
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WATER QUALITY INSTRUMENTS
Seabird water quaity instruments are installed near the reef at all three banks, about 70-80 feet underwater. They measure water parameters such as temperature, salinity and water depth (which may actually vary when there are large waves and troughs). Additional sensors may be added to these instruments at a later date.
HOBO sensors are installed alongside the Seabird instruments. They also record water temperature, thus providing us with a second set of temperature data for comparison.
The SeaKeeper 1000 is an automated system installed on the sanctuary research vessel that continuously monitors water quality parameters while the vessel is under way. This data is then available remotely via satellite. The most recent data sets from the R/V Manta can be viewed by visiting our Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Ocean Observations page.
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ACOUSTIC RECEIVERS
Acoustic receivers have been placed at each of the three banks to help us track manta rays and whale sharks that have been tagged with special transmitters. As tagged animals come close to the receivers, their tag numbers as well as the dates and times of their visits are recorded. Although this won't tell us where these animals are all of the time, it will tell us when and how often they visit the banks. To learn more about acoustic tagging efforts, please visit our page on the Elasmobranch Research being done by Rachel Graham.
CAMERAS
Still and video cameras are used by divers, as well as Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) or manned submersibles, to record changes in the reef over time. They can also be dropped over the side of a ship on a line (drop cameras). Improvements in underwater videography over the last 10 years have allowed scientists to make more accurate observations at much greater depths than in the past.
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SONAR
High-Resolution Multibeam Bathymetry provides detailed profiles of the seafloor to help guide exploration. These maps help us identify where there are raised features that might indicate specialized habitats such as reefs, mud volcanos, and brine seeps.
UNDERWATER VEHICLES
Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) and manned submersibles can stay down longer and go much deeper than Scuba divers. However, they are generally more expensive to operate and require more specialized training to use. ROVs have so far proven the most effective means for exploring the deepwater areas of the sanctuary.
For more information about how high-resolution bathymetry and remotely operated vehicles are being used at the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, visit the Habitat Characterization page.
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