Research Task 17 Integration and validation of modular sensing and analysing devices on an in situ biogeochemical payload for ROVs and Observatories.

PhD position. Ifremer, France Supervisor: Dr V. Rigaud and Dr Nadine Le Bris.

The development of ROVs has provided access to deep-sea environments to a wide international scientific community. Their study yet remains very challenging and requires dedicated tools to measure, observe and sample at depth, in a limited amount of time during a series of dives, or autonomously over longer durations in the context of seafloor observatories. In order to maximize both the accessibility and efficiency of these tools, the development of modular interchangeable scientific tools adapted to different underwater systems for in situ biogeochemical studies has been proposed in the J2RA EUROFLEET FP7 project (in negotiation). The PhD work will contribute to this project through the definition of small in situ sensing modules that will be further integrated to the in situ biogeochemical payload. These tools will be designed from a set of generic and commercially available electrochemical and physical sensors (as used in RT 6). Their association with a small size and low energy deep-sea flow-analysis device will be also considered (CHEMINI open version developed after the FP6 EXOCET-D prototypes). The objective of this work will be to design the integration of this equipment for real-time or autonomous use on a modular payload, allowing their use by different expert groups for diverse physico-chemical measurements in a wide range of deep-sea environments.