Neptune Canada Site Original Installation at Folger Pinnacle
Pelagic Technologies has been privileged to provide dive and consulting services to Ocean Networks Canada for their highly anticipated and advanced Underwater Cable Observatory project at Folger Pinnacle in Bamfield, British Columbia. And after years of collective planning and design by the entire Folgers Team, the last node for this project (originally Neptune Canada) was successfully installed on February 2, 2011 at Folger Passage to bring this exciting project to completion.
The Pelagic Dive Team, along with Neptune science staff and the Bamfield Marine Station's Lead Captain, battled spring storm weather and underwater surge to finally get the instruments energized and successfully collecting data.
From start to end, this entire project was a team effort with countless hours and days spent in the design process and on the field. The installation proved to be a challenge for our dive crew as the site is highly exposed to the weather and heavy surge can be felt well under 100 feet of depth, but we were thrilled to be part of such a unique opportunity. Read the full story.
The Pelagic Dive Team, along with Neptune science staff and the Bamfield Marine Station's Lead Captain, battled spring storm weather and underwater surge to finally get the instruments energized and successfully collecting data.
From start to end, this entire project was a team effort with countless hours and days spent in the design process and on the field. The installation proved to be a challenge for our dive crew as the site is highly exposed to the weather and heavy surge can be felt well under 100 feet of depth, but we were thrilled to be part of such a unique opportunity. Read the full story.
Folger Pinnacle instrument platform prior to installation.
Credit: Ocean Networks Canada
Divers at Work - Ocean Cam
View during the installation of the sub frame & instrument platform.
Thanks to Mairi Best and Siobhan Gray for video content. YouTUBE Video courtesy of Ocean Networks Canada
News Article - Folger Pinnacle Back Online
Oct 26, 2012
Folger Pinnacle instrument platform is now back online, streaming data and video from 23 m below sea level in Folger Passage.
Folger Passage overview map. (Click to enlarge.)
Instruments attached to this platform:
Folger Pinnacle instrument platform.
This instrument platform was reinstalled by divers last month but could not be reconnected to Folger Node because, at 100 m, it is too deep for diver operations. We originally planned to reconnect it during the autumn maintenance and installation cruise aboard the R/V Thompson, but when ship repairs delayed our cruise until next spring, we scrambled to find an alternative. Fortunately, it is now up and running, thanks to help from the crews of the Georgia Transporter and the CanPac Oceanic Explorer remotely operated vehicle (ROV).
Oceanic Explorer remotely operated vehicle aboard the Georgia Transporter, 18 October 2012. (Click to enlarge.)
The Georgia Transporter barge, with ROV onboard, arrived in Bamfield on 15 October, but bad weather delayed dive operations for 4 days. Seas were still somewhat rough on the day of installation, with 2.7 m swell measured that morning at La Perouse Bank to the west of Vancouver Island, but crew members were able to successfully launch the Oceanic Explorer. The ROV dove to the seafloor, retrieved the cable-end connector, and plugged it in to Science Port 2 on Folger Node. We were delighted to find that once connected, electrical and communications were established without a hitch.
One of the really interesting instruments on this platform is the Ocean Presence video cam, which provides a live video window to the fascinating and prolific reef habitat there. Dubbed "ReefCam", the video camera is now online and streaming live. The video can be viewed both via our ReefCam and the Oceans 2.0 camera page.
A window to the reef: live video feed from Folger Pinnacle. (Click to enlarge.)
At a depth of 23 m, enough daylight filters down to Folger Pinnacle to clearly see fish, anemones, sea stars, barnacles, sponges and many other creatures inhabiting the reef. The camera system is also equipped with lights, which bring out the vivid colours of this rich environment. For our initial phase of use, we plan to turn the lights on daily, 8:00-8:45 AM and 12:00-12:45PM.
Copyright © 2012 NEPTUNE Canada
Folger Passage overview map. (Click to enlarge.)
Instruments attached to this platform:
- 3D camera array
- ADCP
- conductivity-temperature-depth sensors
- current profiler
- current meter
- fluorometer
- light sensor
- oxygen Sensor
- video camera with hydrophone
Folger Pinnacle instrument platform.
This instrument platform was reinstalled by divers last month but could not be reconnected to Folger Node because, at 100 m, it is too deep for diver operations. We originally planned to reconnect it during the autumn maintenance and installation cruise aboard the R/V Thompson, but when ship repairs delayed our cruise until next spring, we scrambled to find an alternative. Fortunately, it is now up and running, thanks to help from the crews of the Georgia Transporter and the CanPac Oceanic Explorer remotely operated vehicle (ROV).
Oceanic Explorer remotely operated vehicle aboard the Georgia Transporter, 18 October 2012. (Click to enlarge.)
The Georgia Transporter barge, with ROV onboard, arrived in Bamfield on 15 October, but bad weather delayed dive operations for 4 days. Seas were still somewhat rough on the day of installation, with 2.7 m swell measured that morning at La Perouse Bank to the west of Vancouver Island, but crew members were able to successfully launch the Oceanic Explorer. The ROV dove to the seafloor, retrieved the cable-end connector, and plugged it in to Science Port 2 on Folger Node. We were delighted to find that once connected, electrical and communications were established without a hitch.
One of the really interesting instruments on this platform is the Ocean Presence video cam, which provides a live video window to the fascinating and prolific reef habitat there. Dubbed "ReefCam", the video camera is now online and streaming live. The video can be viewed both via our ReefCam and the Oceans 2.0 camera page.
A window to the reef: live video feed from Folger Pinnacle. (Click to enlarge.)
At a depth of 23 m, enough daylight filters down to Folger Pinnacle to clearly see fish, anemones, sea stars, barnacles, sponges and many other creatures inhabiting the reef. The camera system is also equipped with lights, which bring out the vivid colours of this rich environment. For our initial phase of use, we plan to turn the lights on daily, 8:00-8:45 AM and 12:00-12:45PM.
Copyright © 2012 NEPTUNE Canada
New Updated Science platform Installed at Folger Pinnacle
Crew members guide instrument platform
over the side of crane barge Credit: Ocean Networks Canada
The Pelagic dive team recently installed a newly repaired and configured instrument platform back on to the Neptune Canada cable observatory system located at Folger Pinnacle. In addition our team assisted in the laying of a new 1500 meter fibre optic cable down the reef. The entire project was a great success and now we wait for the deep water ROV team to plug it in.
This project was conducted in conjunction with Neptune Canada staff, Ocean Dynamics ROV team, Bamfield Marine Science Centre's boat and dive staff & barge services from Norwespac industries.
For more details on this project and the other platforms within Ocean Network Canada's system, refer to their story on their website.
This project was conducted in conjunction with Neptune Canada staff, Ocean Dynamics ROV team, Bamfield Marine Science Centre's boat and dive staff & barge services from Norwespac industries.
For more details on this project and the other platforms within Ocean Network Canada's system, refer to their story on their website.