Design and initial results of high-resolution Shadowed Image Particle Profiling and Evaluation Recorder

Previous oceanographic imaging systems have relied on analog video or film recording methods to capture images of microscopic marine particles. Video system resolution is limited by the two-dimensional detector array used. High-resolution images are attainable, but typically with reduced imaging area. Recording to analog videotape has the added problem of introducing noise into the data. Unless the frame rate or instrument tow speed can be varied, particles are either missed or repetitively imaged, thereby making particle density calculations difficult or inaccurate. These methods also have the disadvantage of requiring time-consuming postprocessing of the data before the images can be analyzed on a computer. We have developed an imaging system based on high-speed digital line scan cameras to address the above shortcomings. The system is built around the 96 mm×96mm sampling tube of the University of South Florida´s High Resolution Sampler (HRS) towed