AUV surveys of bioluminescence and coastal processes in the Monterey Bay

Summary form only given. The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), in conjunction with California Polytechnic Institute in San Luis Obispo and UCSB, have conducted two in a series of multi-parameter oceanographic surveys designed to measure coastal upwelling, frontal processes, and bioluminescence in the Monterey Bay. The surveys have consisted of one to two weeks of continuous, round the clock operations in August 2000 and August 2002, allowing repeat mapping of biological and physical features as well as synoptic mapping of bioluminescence at multiple points in the Bay. These surveys have utilized autonomous underwater vehicles, autonomous vertical profilers and moorings to achieve the necessary spatial and temporal scales and resolutions, as well as a variety of shipboard instruments and cast samplers to provide baseline data and quality control. We describe and motivate our survey design, as well as describe the instrument configuration of the REMUS and Dorado AUVs for this particular survey. We also present an overview of joint AUV/ship operations and data collected. In particular, we discuss the integration and present data from two unique instruments carried by the AUVs: a particle size analyzer for measuring suspended sediments in upwelling regions, and a bathyphotometer for measuring emitted light from plankton. We close with a discussion of the operational and scientific lessons we have learned through out intensive survey operations, and the integration of these surveys into a broader coastal observation and prediction system.