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An automated observation equipment must be prepared at the initial stage, that can measure physical and chemical properties of the oceans in a flow-through water system on a vessel. Sensors are continuously exposed in running seawater taken from the ship's bottom, and are susceptible to chemical and biological contamination. Thus, technical considerations must be made on minimizing fouling and eliminating the effects of contamination of sensors. Cooperation with manufacturers and sensor integrators is one of the key elements in solving these problems. At the same time, we must bear in mind cost-to-performance aspects that should make the equipment operational in sustainable way.
Currently, temperature and conductivity can be measured automatically with sensor maintenance provided at about 30 days period. It is our policy to promote development of other sensors that can be deployed for automated measurements in the same application. Also, inviting commercial vessels as Vos participants is another important activities for us. Cooperation of shippers and operators of a vessel, which can install the monitoring equipment and can manage data acquisition on its navigation course, is essential in ensuring a stable, long-term observation on a Vos. Close consultation will be necessary among the parties involved in ship's operation to find out the best method and place of installation of the equipment in a vessel, that must be safe to vessel navigation as well as effective for equipment performance.
Quality of data depends much on regular maintenance work of sensors while the vessel is staying in a port in Japan, and it is a part of the primary tasks assigned to VOS Nippon to continuously perform periodic sensor maintenance and check. The recorded data will be retrieved at the time of maintenance work, and then go through primary check on position, water flow volume and ship's speed, and further segmented into one degree coordinate on the navigation route. In such a way, our website screen currently updates data provided by the two Vos vessels.
There are many players from equipment producer to final users of data, and it is our policy that we always provide all concerned people with correct and timely information in integrity, in order that we maintain long-term data acquisition in a stable manner by keeping good communications among the parties participated in Vos activities.
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