The Institute of Oceanology Chinese Academy of Sciences (IOCAS), Qingdao, has taken delivery of a Chelsea SeaSoar towed oceanographic system.
The sale has been facilitated through Chelsea’s agents China ORES Co Ltd.
The purchase of the SeaSoar system satisfies the requirement of the IOCAS for a large payload towed oceanographic vehicle capable of undulating down to depths of 500 metres at tow speeds of up to 12 knots. The Chelsea SeaSoar was chosen for its proven track record in providing this performance, as well as providing a flexible payload.
The SeaSoar System is fitted with a Chelsea MiniPack to measure conductivity, temperature, depth and fluorescence plus sensors to monitor turbidity and PAR. A Chelsea Plankton Sampler with flow meter has also been integrated plus third party instrumentation. The Chelsea data and flight analysis software will enable the operator to have real time control over the vehicle’s flight profile together with storage and display of the flight parameters. Data obtained from the sensors mounted in the SeaSoar will be transmitted to the towing vessel for processing, display and storage via a multi-core tow cable. The SeaSoar system is to be on permanent deployment from IOCAS’s new Research Vessel, the Kexue Hao.
“IOCAS is a centre of excellence for marine science in China and has over the last few years been upgrading its research facilities to enhance its marine sampling capabilities. The IOCAS now owns three research vessels (The Kexue Hao, Kexue-I, and Kexue-III), all of which have the capacity for open ocean expedition and have participated in large-scale international comprehensive ocean studies. The SeaSoar is ideally suited to deployment from these vessels as is another of Chelsea towed vehicles, the NuShuttle which has been supplying valuable data for some time now ,” said Chelsea’s agent David Tang, China ORES.
“ Chelsea has been at the forefront of the design, manufacture, and commissioning of commercial quality, towed undulating instrumentation systems for over 30 years ,” said Chelsea’s Marketing Director, Richard Burt . “ These undulating platforms have to date gathered millions of miles of ocean data. Such success is perhaps not surprising in view of the benefits these tools offer both scientists and surveyors. The sheer quantity of data that can be reliably collected from these vehicles while a vessel is underway, has led to the sale of more than 150 towed vehicle systems to research, commercial and defence organizations around the world .”
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Press Release, August 8, 2013