Sweden’s new environmental research vessel, RV Svea, is being equipped with the MVP200 Moving Vessel Profiler (MVP) system from AML Oceanographic to dramatically increase water column data collection without interrupting its tight sailing schedule.
Owned by the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), the newly constructed vessel will be utilized by both the university and the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (SMHI). The ship is tasked with a diverse range of environmental monitoring missions, including tracking ocean acidification and conducting fish stock assessments.
Integrating the MVP200 system allows scientists to continuously gather high-density, real-time data while the vessel travels at speeds of 10 to 11 knots. This capability is expected to provide an accurate characterization of the complex marine dynamics found in the Baltic Sea, including strong halocline layers and oxygen-depleted anoxic waters. The system will collect CTD, dissolved oxygen, and chlorophyll A data continuously while underway.
Daniel Bergman-Sjöstrand, Oceanographic Engineer at SMHI, stated, “Until now we have only been collecting profile data from the water column by conducting traditional CTD casts where you need to stop the vessel to make a cast. Ship time is very expensive, and the vessels are often on a tight schedule. On top of that, the staff is already busy and doesn’t have a lot of time for extra work. So it is not easy to collect several extra CTD-profiles during a cruise. However, with a MVP200 we expect to be able to significantly increase the number of profiles without adding cruise time or extra work.”
The high-resolution datasets generated by the profiler will enhance the quality of the extensive hydroacoustic measurements conducted on board RV Svea, while making SMHI’s oceanographic models substantially more accurate.
The acquisition contract was secured through Casco Antiguo, a local AML agent in Spain. The RV Svea is scheduled for delivery from the Armon Shipyard. Driven by global demand for these systems from organizations aiming to reduce the technical and financial uncertainty associated with ocean science surveys, AML Oceanographic has recently expanded its Nova Scotia operations and transitioned to a customized production facility to handle increased manufacturing volumes.
