An Underwater Methane Sensor Based on Laser Spectroscopy in a Hollow Core Optical Fiber.

Existing sensors for measuring dissolved methane in situ suffer from excessively slow response times or large size and complexity. The technology reported here realizes improvements by utilizing a hollow core optical fiber (HFC) as the detection cell in an underwater infrared laser spectrometer. The sensor operates by using a polymer membrane inlet to continuously extract dissolved gas from water.

Corals and sponges are hotspots of reactive oxygen species in the deep sea.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are central to diverse biological processes through which organisms respond to and interact with their surroundings. Yet, a lack of direct measurements limits our understanding of the distribution of ROS in the ocean. Using a recently developed in situ sensor, we show that deep-sea corals and sponges produce the ROS superoxide, revealing that benthic organisms can be sources and hotspots of ROS production in these environments.

Design Optimization of a Submersible Chemiluminescent Sensor (DISCO) for Improved Quantification of Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) in Surface Waters.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are key drivers of biogeochemical cycling while also exhibiting both positive and negative effects on marine ecosystem health. However, quantification of the ROS superoxide (O) within environmental systems is hindered by its short half-life. Recently, the development of the diver-operated submersible chemiluminescent sensor (DISCO), a submersible, handheld instrument, enabled in situ superoxide measurements in real time within shallow coral reef ecosystems.

Development of a Deep-Sea Submersible Chemiluminescent Analyzer for Sensing Short-Lived Reactive Chemicals.

Based on knowledge of their production pathways, and limited discrete observations, a variety of short-lived chemical species are inferred to play active roles in chemical cycling in the sea. In some cases, these species may exert a disproportionate impact on marine biogeochemical cycles, affecting the redox state of metal and carbon, and influencing the interaction between organisms and their environment. One such short-lived chemical is superoxide, a reactive oxygen species (ROS), which undergoes a wide range of environmentally important reactions.

Quantum cascade laser-based reflectance spectroscopy: a robust approach for the classification of plastic type.

The identification of plastic type is important for environmental applications ranging from recycling to understanding the fate of plastics in marine, atmospheric, and terrestrial environments. Infrared reflectance spectroscopy is a powerful approach for plastics identification, requiring only optical access to a sample. The use of visible and near-infrared wavelengths for plastics identification are limiting as dark colored plastics absorb at these wavelengths, producing no reflectance spectra.