Over the course of 5 years these buoys will be swapped out for general maintenance and calibration testing on a quarterly basis. But, before the prototype is removed from the water, both buoys will operate together at the same site for several measurement cycles to establish a crossover calibration between the two instruments to characterize offsets and biases between the two. During this time, both MOBYs will gather concurrent sets of observations to allow the different systems' offsets and biases to be characterized. These observations will allow the Team to characterize or observe the magnitude of biofouling that may be affecting the measurements. Contributions to Science Distinguishing the difference between incoming sunlight and that which is reflected back upward at different depths enables scientists to derive biomass concentrations.
Different elements reflect and absorb light in characteristically different ways.
By measuring this color, scientists can calculate the biomass present. According to Stanford Hooker, a member of NASA's SeaWiFS Project, MOBY's data will help scientists better understand the effects of atmospheric CO2 on oceanic biomass concentrations. Hooker says there has been a global increase in atmospheric CO2, resulting from an increase in fossil fuel burning over the last century. Scientists don't know what the oceans' saturation limit is, nor do they know how long it will take to reach it. Some scientists argue that the plants are at their saturation level and cannot adapt.