FastOcean APD

 

The only commercially available multi-wavelength Single Turnover Active Fluorometer (STAF) system for in situ assessment of Phytoplankton Primary Productivity (PhytoPP).

 

In situ assessment of Phytoplankton Primary Productivity (PhytoPP) is made possible using the FastOcean Ambient plus Dark (APD) profiler, the only commercially available deployable system for this application. Over recent years, the Single Turnover Active Fluorometer (STAF) method incorporated within the APD system has increasingly been accepted as a practical alternative to 14C-based measurement of carbon fixation.

 

Features & Applications

 

Features

  • Estimate PhytoPP on wider spatiotemporal scales than 14C-based methods
  • Non-intrusive and non-destructive
  • Compact and robust design for flexible operation to 600 m depth
  • Full real-time functionality through a cable connection of up to 200 m or completely autonomous operation using battery power and internal data logging
  • Ambient and Dark data can be synchronised and combined with PAR values to generate estimates of PSII photochemical flux per unit volume of sea water
  • Each FastOcean sensor from the APD system can also be integrated with the highly automated Act2 laboratory system (see separate brochure) to generate fluorescence light curves (FLCs) from cultures or samples collected in the field
  • FastOcean data can be combined with simultaneous satellite ocean colour measurements for enhanced spatial and temporal coverage of global PhytoPP

Applications

  • Primary productivity assessment
  • Understanding phytoplankton physiology
  • Nutrient stress analysis
  • Climate change research
  • Algal health assessment

 

Specifications