Conductivity Temperature Depth measures (CTDs)
A CTD is an instrument cluster that measures conductivity (a measure of the salinity of ocean water), temperature, and depth. These are important physical characteristics to consider when studying marine animal distribution. Scientists often attach CTDs to other devices that collect or count organisms, such as Video Plankton Recorders or Trawls, thus allowing for physical measurements to be associated with animal distribution.
|A CTD Rosette, showing the series of instruments that can be used to take multiple measurements on a single launch. (NOAA Ocean Explorer)|
|A CTD being recovered after use during a research cruise. (NOAA Ocean Explorer)|
Click on the links below to see what Census projects use this technology: