Knowledge of the marine particle volume concentration is critical to many oceanographic research efforts. A description of particle volume concentration is most often estimated by assuming particle volumes based on a particle size distribution. This requires the enumeration (ideally, in situ) of a statistically significant number of particles across the size spectrum. This becomes increasingly difficult as one approaches the large-particle end of the size distribution because of the low concentrations of large particles found in most waters. However, even though number concentrations are generally low, the volume flux of large particles and their effect on the underwater light field may be significant. The Marine Aggregated Particle Profiling and Enumerating Rover (MAPPER) is an instrument under development to help address the difficulties associated with the enumeration and analysis of large marine particles. MAPPER will utilize visible diode lasers (670 nm) to produce a structured-light sheet (SLS) coincident with the image planes of video imaging systems of various resolutions. This contribution focuses on the development of the diode laser SLS, on the sheet/system characterization required to make possible the retrieval of quantitative, individual-particle information, and on the unique information offered by imaging in an SLS as opposed to other structured-light volumes. The deviation of the implemented sheet from the `ideal' sheet is presented as are the first field data acquired by deploying the SLS module on a remotely operated vehicle testbed.

Date Published: 31 December 1992
PDF: 9 pages
Proc. SPIE 1750, Ocean Optics XI, (31 December 1992); doi: 10.1117/12.140641

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 1750:
Ocean Optics XI
Gary D. Gilbert, Editor(s)