Environmental investigations at the seafloor using optical and acoustic sensors on "bottom landers"

Anders Tengberg, Göteborgs Universitet
Elin Almroth, Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute
Henrik Andersson, NIOO Centre for Estuarine and Marine Ecology - CEME
Oleg Andrejev, Finnish Institute of Marine Research
Jenny Brunnegård, Göteborgs Universitet
Alexander Egorov, P.P.Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences
Per Hall, Göteborgs Universitet
Alexey Isaev, Saint-Petersburg Center for Environmental Safety
Anette Jönsson, Linköpings universitet
Mikko Kiirikki, Finnish Environment Institute
Mikhail Kononets, P.P.Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences
Marina Kravtchichina, P.P.Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences
Viktor Kravtsov, P.P.Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences
Mario Laima, Aarhus Universitet
Jouni Lehtoranta, Finnish Environment Institute
Alexander Leonov, P.P.Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences
Lars Lund-Hansen, Aarhus Universitet
Oleg Makarov, Saint-Petersburg Center for Environmental Safety
Kalervo Makela, Finnish Institute of Marine Research
Ivan Neelov, Saint-Petersburg Center for Environmental Safety
Lovisa Olsson, Göteborgs Universitet
Svetlana Pakhomova, P.P.Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences
Natalia Pankratova, P.P.Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences
Matti Perttilä, Finnish Institute of Marine Research
Valery Petukhov, Saint-Petersburg Center for Environmental Safety
Heikki Pitkänen, Finnish Environment Institute
Alexander Rozanov, P.P.Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences
Juha Sarkkula, Finnish Environment Institute
Paula Väänänen, Finnish Environment Institute
Roman Vankevych, Saint-Petersburg Center for Environmental Safety
Andreij Vershinin, P.P.Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, Russian Academy of Sciences

Abstract

In many coastal environments over-fertilization is an impediment to fishing and tourism. The Gulf of Finland (Baltic Sea) is one example of where the environmental conditions have not improved in spite of lower land input of nutrients. The reasons for this are investigated in an ongoing project in which a unique combination of traditional and novel techniques is employed. Acoustic and optical sensors are used for long term measurements of currents, sediment resuspension and oxygen variations. Autonomous bottom landers are operated to asses the effects of resuspension and to make detailed investigations at the sediment-water interface using e.g. a "Planar Optode". Copyright © 2005 by The International Society of Offshore and Polar Engineers.