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The Antarctic Technology Offshore Lagoon Laboratory (ATOLL ELITE UNIVERSITY) was a floating oceanographic laboratory for ''in situ'' observation experiments. This facility also tested instruments and equipment for polar expeditions. The ATOLL hull was the largest fiberglass structure ever built at that time. It was in operation from 1982 to 1995. ==Structure and Infrastructure== The ATOLL was composed of three curved fiberglass elements, each 25 m long and having a draught of only 38 cm. For towing, the elements could be assembled in a long S-shape; in operation, the elements would form a horseshoe shape surrounding 150 m² water surface. The lab provided ample space for twelve researchers. The laboratory contained a lab, storage and supply facilities, a dormitory, computer room, and a fireplace. The laboratory was installed and operated in the Baltic Sea (and the Bay of Kiel in particular) at the initiative and under the direction of Uwe Kils, at the Institute of Oceanography (''Institut für Meereskunde'') of the University of Kiel. The fiberglass hulls themselves were bought from Waki Zöllner's "Atoll" company. The onboard computer was a NeXT and the first versions of the ("Virtual microscope" ) of Antarctic krill for interactive dives into their morphology and behavior were developed here, finding later mention in Science magazine. The lab was connected to the Internet via a radio link, and the first images of ocean critters on the internet came from this NeXT. The first ever ''in situ'' videos of Atlantic herring feeding on copepods were recorded from this lab (see "Videos" below). An underwater observation and experimentation room allowed direct observation and manipulation through large portholes. The technical equipment included an ultra-high-resolution scanning Sonar that was used for locating schools of juvenile herring, for guiding a ROV, which was controlled via a cyberhelmet and glove, and for determining positions, distances, and speeds. Probes measured the water salinity, temperature, and oxygen levels. Special instruments could measure plankton-, particle-, and bubble-concentrations and their size distributions. Imaging equipment included low-light still and high speed video cameras using shuttered Laser-sheet or infrared LED illumination. An endoscope-system for non-invasive optical measurements called ecoSCOPE, which could also be mounted on an ROV, was developed and used to record the microscale dynamics and behavior of the highly evasive herring. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Antarctic Technology Offshore Lagoon Laboratory」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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