Clio: Toward routine operations for a fast vertical profiling vehicle
designed for global ocean biogeochemical mapping
Abstract
We report the design and results from a series of recent cruises using a
fast vertical profiling autonomous underwater vehicle called Clio. Clio
has been designed specifically to complement conventional wire-based
sampling techniques—to improve ship-time utilization by operating
simultaneously and independently of conventional techniques, and thereby
to cost-effectively improve the understanding of marine microorganism
ecosystem dynamics on a global scale. Life processes and ocean chemistry
are linked: ocean chemistry places constraints on marine metabolic
processes, and life processes alter the speciation, chemical
associations, and water-column residence time of seawater constituents.
Advances in sequencing technology and in situ preservation have made it
possible to study the genomics (DNA), transcriptomics (RNA), proteomics
(proteins and enzymes), metabolomics (lipids and other metabolites), and
metallomics (metals), associated with marine microorganisms; however, at
present these techniques require sample collection. For this purpose,
Clio’s primary payload consists of two Suspended-Particle Rosette (SUPR)
multi-samplers capable of returning up to 20 sets of filtered samples
and filtrate per dive, and filtering up to 280 L of water per sample.
Clio hosts additional profiling sensors consisting presently of a
Seabird Electronics CTD, WET Labs combined chlorophyll and backscatter
fluorimeter, and C-Star transmissometer. Since sea trials in 2017 Clio
has participated in 5 cruises including most recently a section cruise
between Bermuda and Woods Hole in June of 2019. On that cruise Clio
executed a total of 9 nightly dives 12-16 hours in length and filtered a
total of 20,878 L of seawater. The vehicle holds depth to a precision of
better than 5 cm, is rated to 6000 m (4100 m maximum depth to date) and
transits the water column at 45 m/min. Clio has demonstrated consistent
reliable performance in its intended role; however, opportunities exist
to further exploit its capabilities. Clio’s last two dives included
autonomous data-driven selection of sample depths to better capture the
deep chlorophyll maximum. Clio’s large payload capacity (10s W, 10s kg)
could host novel samplers as well as in situ sample processors and other
profiling instruments.