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CAGE is involved in the development and implementation of node 7 which is placed near an area of substantial methane seepage, close to a coral reef. The observatory will provide a long term, real-time observations of methane seepage from the ocean floor 270 meters below the surface. Methane is bubbling up in this area, potentially affecting the ecosystem.<\/p>\n
First of its kind in Europe<\/h2>\n
Few cabled observatories exist in the world, and even fewer focus on natural release of the greenhouse gas methane. Which makes this observatory unique in its ability to provide crucial environmental information.<\/p>\n
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<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\u201cWe are very proud to be part of this success story, as we were actively involved since the first phase of LoVe in 2013. The observatory is the first of its kind in Europe and will mean a big leap towards understanding climate change and its effect on currents variations and ecosystems,\u201d says Benedicte Ferr\u00e9 at CAGE.<\/p>\n
Ocean Networks Canada<\/strong><\/a> and Ocean Observatories Initiative<\/a><\/strong> in the USA are similar observatory systems that include methane sensors. Norway is, however, the first country to have strategically built a cabled observatory in an area of high biological productivity, intense methane emissions, and with a vulnerable ecosystem.<\/p>\n \u201cThis provides us with a unique opportunity to investigate the impacts climate change will have on all these interconnected parameters. Conducting research on data from this area is the next step towards our understanding of environmental challenges in connection to climate change and potential industrial exploitation at the seabed,\u201d says Ferr\u00e9.<\/p>\n The long list of mounted sensors on node 7 reads like a phone book if you remember those: they measure greenhouse gases methane and CO2; \u00a0water current data, temperature, salinity, and pressure; oxygen, nutrients (nitrate), pH and chlorophyll; turbidity, coloured dissolved organic matter and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon ( a mouthful, but a truly intriguing chemical compound).<\/p>\n In addition, a camera system coupled with a flash provides regular images of methane seepage, a hydrophone records the surrounding environment and the sound emitted by the bubbles as they escape the seafloor, and an echo-sounder records fish migration and long-range images of methane seepages.<\/p>\n Marine research has relied on research cruises, by ship, providing only a snapshot of current environmental conditions. However, the seasonal variations in methane release from the ocean floor can be significant. Which is not a small matter.<\/p>\nRemember phone books?<\/h2>\n