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Abstract:
TRAMPER is an autonomous benthic crawler equipped with oxygen sensors to perform long-term flux time series measurements at abyssal depth. The crawler is developed within the HGF-Alliance ROBEX. TRAMPER has five main subsystems: the titanium frame with the flotation, the caterpillar drive system, recovery and communication systems, energy and electronics and a multi-optode profiler as the scientific payload. A lithium-ion battery pack provides the energy to run an oxygen profiling system performing consecutive measurements (>52 cycles) along its transecting moving on the seafloor. This new generation of optode-based oxygen monitoring system allows using 18 oxygen optodes and is able to perform in situ calibrations. A video-guided launching system is used to deploy the crawler at the seafloor. At the seafloor the pre-programmed mission scenario is performed consisting of consecutive sleeping, moving and measurement cycles. The aim is to cover a seasonal cycle of settling organic matter on the seafloor and to resolve the impact on the benthic community respiration activity.
