ZJU-ZRS Experimental Research Observatory Project Plan
∗∗
Ruihong Lan, Fuqiang Qi, Yeqing Yue, Fengzhong Qu, Hong Song, Yingjun Xie, and Ying Chen
[email protected]
Department of Ocean Science and Engineering
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China 310058
ABSTRACT
Seafloor observatories provides brand new approaches in order to observe the undersea world with a capability of achieving continuous long-term data. This paper briefly introduces
an observatory namely Zhejiang University (ZJU)-ZRS Experimental Research Observatory (Z2 ERO), located in ZRS
Island, East China Sea. Z2 ERO serves as both an observatory and a testbed.
Zhoushan
ZRS Island
1. MOTIVATIONS
The Zhejiang University (ZJU)-ZRS Experimental Research
Observatory (Z2 ERO), will be constructed in ZRS Island, Zhoushan Archipelago, East China Sea, as illustrated in Fig.
1.
The Zhoushan Archipelago, comprising 1, 390 islands and
3, 306 reefs, is located in the East China Sea, outside Hangzhou
Bay, near Hangzhou, Ningbo and Shanghai. The offshore
area is the largest fishery of China, where the length of
continental coastline is 1500 km and the sea area is about
100, 000 km2 [3]. The annual fish catch was about 85 tons
in 1970s, around one-third of the national total. However, because of overfishing and pollution, some species of fish
in Zhoushan Fishery are dying out[2]. Hence, one of the
main purposes of Z2 ERO is to observe and study the marine ecosystem in Zhoushan as well as in the East China
Sea, by providing researchers long-term, real-time measurements. Unlike other short-term methods, cabled seafloor observatories detect and follow ecological events continuously
for a long period, offering researchers an effective method
to characterize and understand biological cycles. In addition, the Zhoushan Archipelago has a unique geographical
environment with more than one thousand islands between
the estuary of the Yangtse River and the Hangzhou Bay.
Z2 ERO can play an important role in the study of ocean
∗∗
This work is in part supported by the Program for
Zhejiang Leading Team of S&T Innovation under grant
#2010R50036 and Zhejiang University Ocean Subject Cross
Research Guide Foundation under grant #2012HY008B.
Ningbo
Figure 1: Location of ZRS Island
science in this special archipelago and river estuary sea area
[1].
Another main motivation of Z2 ERO is to serve as a testbed,
providing open-structure, easy accessible facilities by which
scientists and engineers test their instruments and technologies to observe ocean. Z2 ERO is designed to allow simple
integration of any sensors or devices by the implementation
of a standard guest port configuration. Each guest port provides a flexible DC power interface from 5V to 48V and a
choice of data interfaces, including Ethernet, RS-232, RS422, and RS-485 communication options. A graphical user
interface provides the authorized user with the control of
their own devices undersea, allowing to power on and off or
to use specific software to configure sensor systems, and to
continuously monitor system status.
2.
COMPONENTS OF Z2 ERO
This section introduces the main components of Z2 ERO.
2.1
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East China Sea
Shore Station
The shore station on the Zhairuoshan Island supplies power and records data on site. All the power of the Z2 ERO
needed is from the national utility grid and transformed to
a high voltage in the shore station. When the primary power supply fails, back-up power generators start up until the
primary power supply is restored. Seafloor optical power cable connects the shore station to the science node, providing
the power and the optical communication fibres.
2.8
Data Management and Archive System
A data management and archive system will be developed
to serve the need of Z2 ERO. The system is manifold: data
acquisition, real-time monitoring of the underwater infrastructure, real-time control of interactive instrumentation,
and data archiving, search, and distribution. Data security
is a critical design feature of the system, tailored to minimize
data loss related to hardware, software, or external causes.
3.
OBSERVATORY STANDARDIZATION
The observatories allow researchers to develop the tools and protocols necessary in order to take advantage of a
sea floor power supply, real-time data, and experiment control. Considering all ocean observatories around the world
are lack of unified standards, we develop and promote standards, such as physical interface, communication protocols,
data management and so on. As a result, the devices are
interchangeable and the data are sharable among different
observatories.
Figure 2: Floating test platform
4.
FUTURE WORK
2
2.2 Coastal Weather Station
A coastal weather station locates on the beach to accurately measure the marine atmospheric variables, including
coastal temperature, humidity, wind speed/direction, rainfall, and barometric pressure. The weather station provides
researchers with reference weather information for scientific
studies and sea trials.
2.3 Junction Box
Junction box serves as an underwater power supply and
information center by down-converting the voltage and collecting information.
2.4 Scientific Instrument Interface Module
Scientific instrument interface module (SIIM) serves as an
interface between junction box and observing instruments by
providing various power and communications interfaces. A
SIIM provides a flexible DC power interface from 5V to 48V
and a choice of data interfaces, including Ethernet, RS-232,
RS-422, and RS-485.
2.5 Monitoring Buoys at Sea
The buoys monitor a variety of physical, chemical, and
marine dynamic parameters, such as temperature, salinity,
turbidity, dissolved oxygen, dissolved carbon dioxide, pH,
Eh, wave height, etc.
2.6 Marine Ecology and Dynamic Sensors
We put acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCP), tide
gauges, turbidity, temperature, salinity sensors, and other marine dynamic and water quality parameters measuring
instruments in our observatory, to obtain the kinetic parameters of the flow field and water quality.
2.7 Floating Test Platform
The floating test platform is an important part of the
testbed, as illustrated in Fig. 2. With a surface-underwaterseafloor test mode, the testbed supports a variety of depths,
sea conditions, and different parameters.
Z ERO provides real-time continuous monitoring, which
allows scientists to capture the variation and episodic nature
of sea in a way never possible before. In the future, we will
extend the network and expand the instruments for certain
scientific goals. We will set up a training center, based on
Z2 ERO supported by Zhejiang University faculty.
5.
REFERENCES
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science: a review,” ANNALS OF GEOPHYSICS,
vol. 49, no. 2-3, pp. 515–567, 2006.
[2] N. I. Haier and L. U. Jiehua, “Present utilization
situation of main fishery resources in zhoushan fishing
ground [j],” Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology, vol. 4,
p. 19, 2003.
[3] P. Z. Liu, Y. Q. Yu, and C. Y. Liu, “Studies on the
situation of pollution and countermeasures of control of
the oceanic environment in zhoushan fishing ground the largest fishing ground in china,” Marine Pollution
Bulletin, vol. 23, pp. 281–288, 1991.