Biospherical OCULLAR Prototype featured in NASA's Cutting Edge
COAST 2011 used a modified UV-18A Twin Otter (from CIRPAS). Shown is the twin otter at 100 ft off the deck, flying over the science team that was deployed in a coastal research vessel in Monterey Bay. The team was tasked with obtaining "sea truth" for the aircraft overflight. The inset photo shows two of the three C-AIR instruments (BSI’s BioAIR series) onboard. (UV-18A photo: Juan Torres; inset photo: BSI)
The C-OPS™ profiler, deployed by Dr. Stanford Hooker (NASA) in the Arctic as part of the Malina field campaign. The instrument is shown close to the ice edge to emphasize the ability to sample in optically complex waters, wherein a thin layer of melt water (approximately 1 m thick or less in many instances) significantly influences near-surface optical properties.
Summit, Greenland. Biospherical SUV-150B High Resolution Spectroradiometer in foreground with GUV behind. This is part of Biospherical's UV network and, along with Barrow, became part of NSF's Arctic Observing Network in 2009.
C-OPS Class instrument measuring light penetration under floating plastic balls in a Los Angeles Reservior.
Radiance calibration bench. Transfer radiometer seen viewing calibrated plaque illuminated by NIST-traceable FEL Standard.
ICE-Pro, a purpose-built, modified C-OPS for work under the ice, on ICESCAPE 2010. The LuZ/EdZ profiler is the red cylinder on the left. A radiometrically matching Ed0 solar reference is mounted atop the tripod, which also aids in deploying a single-channel reference sensor (QCD-2100) just beneath the ice.
Dr. Karen Frey deploys ICE-Pro, a purpose-built C-OPS for work under the ice on ICESCAPE 2010. The USCGC Healy (background) is fitted with a Biospherical Surface Ocean Reflectance System (BioSORS, S. Hooker/NASA) above-water ocean color monitor on the bow, and a Telescoping Mount for Advanced Solar Technologies (T-MAST) on the bridge, supporting the solar surface reference radiometer.
   
 
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Biospherical OCULLAR Prototype featured in NASA's Cutting Edge

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OCULLAR sensor at sunsetOCULLAR sensor at sunset

Biospherical Instruments has developed a novel instrument that is capable of measuring light over 14 decades of dynamic range. The prototype sensor, known as the Ocean Color Underwater Low Light Advanced Radiometer (OCULLAR), resulted from a collaboration between Biospherical Instruments and NASA/GSFC scientist Dr. Stanford Hooker. The instrument pairs a miniature photomultiplier tube (PMT) with a Biospherical microradiometer coupled to a silicon photodetector. A microprocessor embedded in the microradiometer activates the PMT when low-light conditions are detected, and is powered off under higher light conditions where the silicon detector microradiometers take over. The first field campaign using the prototype successfully collected data under moonlit skies, including using a BioSHADE (shadowband) accessory to measure direct and diffuse components of moonlight. The prototype successfully proved the concept but had only one channel. A commercial product with 7 channels is currently under development. The new system will support ocean color research using both Sun and Moon as light sources.

An article featuring OCULLAR was published by NASA. It can be found is here.

 

AOP TM Ready for Download

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The NASA Technical Memorandum written by Biospherical and NASA titled, "Advances in Measuring the Apparent Optical Properties (AOPs) of Optically Complex Waters,” NASA TM-2010-215856, is now available for download. This TM documents the Biospherical systems that support both in-air and in-water AOP determinations and describes the development of the Microradiometer and C-OPS, as well as the SHALLO family of instruments. For your convenience, PDFs of individual chapters from this TM have been included on our Web pages that deal with their respective instruments.

 

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