RObust BIOdiversity (ROBIO)

The ROBIO lander has been designed to investigate biodiversity of the benthic communities around oil exploration sites.

The lander has been tested in the Faeroe-Shetland channel and has also been deployed offshore Angola, West Africa.

A 35mm stills camera onboard is capable of taking up to 1400 frames of film over a time period of up to one year.

The ROBIO is capable of being deployed in three different modes: Tether mode - a ballast clump with a baited cross that anchors the lander two meters above the seafloor with the camera pointed directly downward looking at the bait. Landing mode - lander sits wholly on seafloor and takes time-lapse pictures over a long term. Wire mode - lander is attached to hydrographic wire on the ship and can be moved over the seafloor taking pictures only when an altimeter measures distance to bottom as being less than 5 meters.

Contact

Dr Phil Bagley, Oceanlab Manager/Senior Engineer
Telephone: +44 (0)1224 274411

Email: oceanlab@abdn.ac.uk