The Underwater Vision Profiler 6: an imaging sensor of particle size spectra and plankton, for autonomous and cabled platforms

• Published in: Limnology and Oceanography: Methods
• Main Authors: Picheral, Marc, Catalano, Camille, Brousseau, Denis, Claustre, Hervé, Coppola, Laurent, Leymarie, Edouard, Coindat, Jérôme, Dias, Fabio, Fevre, Sylvain, Guidi, Lionel, Irisson, Jean, Olivier, Legendre, Louis, Lombard, Fabien, Mortier, Laurent, Penkerch, Christophe, Rogge, Andreas, Schmechtig, Catherine, Thibault, Simon, Tixier, Thierry, Waite, Anya, Stemmann, Lars
• Other Authors: Laboratoire d'océanographie de Villefranche (LOV), Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut de la Mer de Villefranche (IMEV), Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Université Laval Québec (ULaval), Hydroptic, Variabilité de l'Océan et de la Glace de mer (VOG), Laboratoire d'Océanographie et du Climat : Expérimentations et Approches Numériques (LOCEAN), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut Pierre-Simon-Laplace (IPSL (FR_636)), École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS-PSL), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-École polytechnique (X)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales Toulouse (CNES)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Paris Cité (UPCité)-École normale supérieure - Paris (ENS-PSL), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-École polytechnique (X)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales Toulouse (CNES)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Paris Cité (UPCité)-Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (MNHN)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Institut Pierre-Simon-Laplace (IPSL (FR_636)), Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université Paris sciences et lettres (PSL)-Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (UVSQ)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-École polytechnique (X)-Centre National d'Études Spatiales Toulouse (CNES)-Sorbonne Université (SU)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Paris Cité (UPCité), Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel = Christian-Albrechts University of Kiel = Université Christian-Albrechts de Kiel (CAU), Alfred-Wegener-Institut, Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung = Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research = Institut Alfred-Wegener pour la recherche polaire et marine (AWI), Helmholtz-Gemeinschaft = Helmholtz Association, WISIP, Dalhousie University Halifax, European Project: 635359,H2020,H2020-BG-2014-2,BRIDGES(2015), European Project: 834177,REFINE- H2020-EU.1.1, European Project: 727890,INTAROS
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2022
• Subjects: [SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio]; Arctic
• Online Access: https://hal.sorbonne-universite.fr/hal-03508179; https://hal.sorbonne-universite.fr/hal-03508179/document; https://hal.sorbonne-universite.fr/hal-03508179/file/Limnology%20Ocean%20Methods%20-%202021%20-%20Picheral%20-%20The%20Underwater%20Vision%20Profiler%206%20an%20imaging%20sensor%20of%20particle%20size%20spectra.pdf; https://doi.org/10.1002/lom3.10475

International audience Autonomous and cabled platforms are revolutionizing our understanding of ocean systems by providing 4D monitoring of the water column, thus going beyond the reach of ship-based surveys and increasing the depth of remotely sensed observations. However, very few commercially available sensors for such platforms are capable of monitoring large particulate matter (100-2000 μm) and plankton despite their important roles in the biological carbon pump and as trophic links from phytoplankton to fish. Here, we provide details of a new, commercially available scientific camera-based particle counter, specifically designed to be deployed on autonomous and cabled platforms: the Underwater Vision Profiler 6 (UVP6). Indeed, the UVP6 camera-and-lighting and processing system, while small in size and requiring low power, provides data of quality comparable to that of previous much larger UVPs deployed from ships. We detail the UVP6 camera settings, its performance when acquiring data on aquatic particles and plankton, their quality control, analysis of its recordings, and streaming from in situ acquisition to users. In addition, we explain how the UVP6 has already been integrated into platforms such as BGC-Argo floats, gliders and long-term mooring systems (autonomous platforms). Finally, we use results from actual deployments to illustrate how UVP6 data can contribute to addressing longstanding questions in marine science, and also suggest new avenues that can be explored using UVP6-equipped autonomous platforms.