Biology 124 Biological Oceanography
Online Project

TOOLS OF THE OCEANOGRAPHER: Equipment: Measuring tools: Other

B.  Taking Measurements of the Marine Environment
1. Temperature
• Standard Thermometer
• Bucket Thermometer
• Reversing Thermometer (for Nansen Bottle)
• Bathythermograph (BT)
2. Salinity
• Hydrometer (quick test type for aquariums)
• Hydrometer Set
• Chemical Test Kit (Knudsen)
• Salinometer
3. Oxygen
• Chemical Test Kit (Winkler Titration)
• Dissolved Oxygen Probe
4. pH
• pH test strips
• Chemical Test Kit
• pH meter
5. Visibility & Color
• Secchi Disk (used by itself)
• Forel/Ule Scale (used with the Secchi disk)
6. Other
• There are chemical tests for numerous dissolved substances including Carbon Dioxide, Nitrogen, Phosphates, Ammonia, Lead, Copper and Manganese
7. Depth & Profile
• Sounder (lead line)
• Fathometer
•Surveying Equipment
8. Currents
• Current Meter
• Dye
• Drogues
• Drift Bottles
• Drift Cards

7. Depth & Profile  
Sounder (lead line) to top of page
sounder
Measures: Depth (in meters or feet)
Operates: At any depth on a cable or line generally by hand
Notes: Until 1993 most of the hydrographic (ocean bottom) maps from Santa Barbara Harbor north for many miles were done with a hand held sounder

Fathometer to top of page
fathometer

strip chart from fathometer
strip chart from fathometer
Measures: Depth (in meters or feet)
Operates: Electronically by sending a sound from the boat and receiving the sound waves that bounce back from the bottom, the depth is read from a paper chart moving through the fathometer calibrated to record the depth
Notes: The fathometer itself is on the boat we will use for our trawl lab, today there are several pieces from the chart

Surveying Equipment (Sighting level, Tripod, Stadia Rod) to top of page
Surveying Equipment
Measures: Profile of the beach and shallow (to a few feet) wave wash area
Operates: By sighting through the sighting level (stabilized and leveled on the tripod) to stadia rods (marked in feet) held on the beach
Notes: This tool is used to survey mountains and in construction as well


 
Return to previous page
to other teststo top of page to currents