|
EquipmentAquenal utilises a range of professional equipment for implementation of its field, laboratory and reporting services: Aquenal is committed to obtaining additional equipment as required to tailor our services to client needs. Vessels and dive equipmentField work is conducted primarily from a 7 m aluminium twin hull work boat, which is outfitted to enable efficient and self-contained execution of field sampling programs.
Aquenal work vessel
For work outside Tasmanian coastal waters, Aquenal selects suitable vessels to charter. Aquenal has an experienced dive team and a self contained dive equipment unit to enable rapid mobilisation for underwater surveys. Back to top Biological and physico-chemical sampling devicesA wide variety of sampling devices is used to survey and sample biological communities, sediments and water. Biological samples are collected using remote devices (e.g. Van Veen grab), hand corers, plankton nets, seine nets and a range of other netting and trapping devices. Survey methods also involve use of transects and quadrats in submerged and emergent/intertidal environments. Sediments are sampled using both remote devices (e.g. Craib corer) and hand corers. A pH meter with associated redox, pH and sulphide probes is used to assess sediment condition, while other laboratory equipment is used to determine particle size distributions and organic content values. Aquenal collaborates with other organisations to determine stable isotope values, concentrations of heavy metals, pesticides and PCBs and to assess other physico-chemical parameters. Water quality is primarily assessed by Aquenal using a Yeo-Kal YK-611 water quality analyser, equipped with a multi-parameter probe and 30 m cable. The Yeo-Kal unit includes sensors for temperature, conductivity, depth, salinity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, pH, and oxidation redox potential. Aquenal collaborates with other organisations to assess heavy metal and nutrient concentrations and other chemical properties of both water and biological samples. Water currents are assessed by Aquenal using current meters that log current speed and direction, pressure, water temperature, conductivity and salinity every half hour of submersion. For tidal measurement work, we use an Aquatec AQUAlogger 520P. This meter can log pressure at anywhere from 1 to 256 second or minute intervals with burst and averaging options available. It has a 1000 m depth rating and a capacity to store approximately 6 months of data at a time. Back to top
Remote sediment coring apparatus (Craib corer) Video and camera equipmentA variety of digital cameras and video equipment are used to survey aquatic habitats and photograph biological specimens. Underwater footage is captured either by divers or a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV). Diver operated video equipment includes Sony™ DCR-HC32E/HC21E camcorders housed in an Ikelite underwater housing (MN#6038.22) with the Ikelite Pro Video-Lite 2 lighting system. The ROV is equipped with a high resolution digital video camera and can obtain footage from depths of up to 150 m; see below for further information on the ROV. Where a rapid underwater spot assessment is required without recording footage, such as during pre-sampling checks to determine if there is sufficient soft sediment for grab sampling, Aquenal uses a drop camera. This consists of a high resolution, wide angle colour camera attached to a co-axial cable to allow viewing of footage on a TV monitor onboard the work vessel. Several still digital cameras are used at field sites and in the laboratory. A Canon G9 12.1 mega pixel camera with a Canon WP-DC21 underwater housing can be used to a depth of 40 m and includes both still and video photography options. A Canon G7 10.1 megapixel camera with an Ikelite 6147 underwater housing and Ikelite DS-51 Substrobe can be used to a depth of 60 m and also has both still and video capabilities. A Nikon™ Coolpix 995 3.34 mega pixel digital camera can be attached to our dissecting microscopes and is used to produce high resolution images of biological specimens. Back to top Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV)Aquenal uses a SeaBotix LBV150SE-52 Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) for much of its underwater filming work. The ROV is a remote controlled, self propelled, underwater vehicle equipped with a high resolution digital video camera, laser scale, and three jaw grabber. It therefore has both underwater filming and bottom sampling capabilities and is able to operate to a depth of 150 m. The ROV is connected to the surface by an optic fibre cable which carries the video image to a monitor at the surface control unit. Click here for additional information on the operational capacity and advantages of the ROV. Back to top
The ROV LaboratoryAquenal has a fully equipped biological laboratory for processing, sorting, preservation, identification and archiving of specimens. The laboratory provides dissecting microscopes with digital camera equipment, and all other instruments required for processing of biological, sediment and water samples. Our laboratory houses a comprehensive biological reference collection of temperate marine and estuarine species. Back to top
Macroinvertebrate identification and digital photography GIS, mapping and computer technologyA Garmin/Omnistar™ Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) capable of navigating to within 2 m of a GPS position is used by Aquenal in field operations. This system is combined with a bottom hardness sensing echo sounder, stores up to 250 waypoints and can be connected to a laptop computer to provide real-time position and depth data. GPS data are mapped by Aquenal using the software packages ®Mapinfo Professional and ®Manifold System. Mapping projections are based on the Universal Transverse Mercator WGS 84, except where an alternative projection is requested by the client. GPS and associated environmental data are fed into an ®Access relational database containing a GIS interface. This database is used to map environmental information, including physico-chemical conditions and localities of biological communities and aquatic habitats. The database facilitates data analysis through enabling easy extraction of desired datasets. Statistical analyses are performed through a range of specialist multivariate and univariate software packages, while numerous other software packages and communications equipment are used by Aquenal to process, interpret and communicate data and reports in required formats. Back to top
|
 |
