Although a lot of data has been collected on changing ocean temperatures at and near the surface, there has not been a lot of temperature data collected on the deep seafloor. Especially not in Antarctica.
In order to measure the water's temperature at the seafloor our team deployed three temperature sensors down to a depth of 1,200 feet (400 meters) below the surface. At each location the temperature sensor will sit 6 feet (2 meters) above the seafloor and collect temperature data for an entire year.
Recording the surrounding water temperature every 30 minutes for an entire year will allow our team of scientists to get a better understanding of the seasonal temperature variations that go on on the Antarctic deep seafloor.
Additionally, by being able to determine the year's average water temperature, we will be able to better understand current dynamics of the organisms living on the Antarctic seafloor, as well as make predictions about future ecosystem dynamics.
A year from now, when each temperature sensor is recovered, the data will be downloaded and analyzed. Until then, our team gets temperature data from SeaSled, our underwater camera vehicle, while it takes snapshots of the seafloor.
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| The three temperature sensors ready to be deployed to the Antarctic deep seafloor! |
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| John Bailey, from Woods Hole Oceanographic, deploying the first temperature sensor into the water. |
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