ESP Web Portal - Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute
Original (non-English) name
Acronym
ESP Web Portal - MBARI
Citation
Abstract
Researchers can use molecular and genomic assays and other analyses in laboratories and at sea to determine the activity and abundance of zooplankton, phytoplankton, bacteria, and harmful algal toxins. Records of environmental conditions, such as seawater chemistry, temperature, salinity, and turbidity at the precise sample location, help identify oceanographic conditions that favor particular species.
The Environmental Sample Processor (ESP) provides on-site (in situ) collection and analysis of water samples from the subsurface ocean. The instrument is an electromechanical/fluidic system designed to collect discrete water samples, concentrate microorganisms or particles, and automate application of molecular probes that identify microorganisms and their gene products. The ESP also archives samples so that further analyses may be done after the instrument is recovered. The data is telemetered back to shore and is available in the portal below. To start exploring data from the ESP, select the mission you are interested in from the “Select Deployment” drop down below, then click on the ESP you are interested in and then select the parameters you are interested in visualizing.