sediment tests

On board r/v Oceanograf there is a sub-bottom profiler (SBP) model 3100P with TowFish SB-216S by EdgeTech. This device operates in the 2-16 kHz frequency range (chirp type). The towed fish is fitted with transducers and hydrophones mounted under an acoustic baffle inside the unit. Sediment penetration using the SB-216S ranges from about 6 m for coarse sands and gravels to about 80m for acoustically soft sediments (e.g. mud). The beam width ranges from 17° to 24° depending on the selected operating frequency range (17°: 2 – 15 kHz, 20°: 2 – 12 kHz, 24°: 2 – 10 kHz ).

The sonar used in the survey on r/v Oceanograf is a cable towed side scan sonar (SSS) model 4200P, produced by EdgeTech, operating at two frequencies: 300 and 900 kHz with a maximum ping rate of 12 ms and 3 ms - for 300 and 900 kHz respectively. When operating at 300 kHz, the device provides a data set at a lateral range of 230 m to port and starboard, while when operating at 900 kHz - the range reaches 75 m and the image has a higher resolution. The maximum depth at which the sonar can operate is 300 m.

An automated sediment-core-scanning system equipped with a high-resolution hyperspectral camera working in the visual to near-infrared range (400 to 1000 nm). The SCS is a non-destructive hyperspectral scanner designed for studying sediment cores. It is used for detecting organic compounds in lake and marine sediment cores. This method is cost- and time-efficient, and provides insight into the spatiotemporal structures of bio-geochemical species at a very high degree of detail.

'Oceanograf' is a specialized research vessel owned of the Faculty of Oceanography and Geography (University of Gdańsk), which home port is Gdynia. This is one of the most modern research vessels operating in the Baltic Sea region, which can also be used for commercial purposes.