Deploying the Bottom Tripod and ADCP

During the summer field cruise aboard the GNS Aflao, the OMI team also deployed a bottom tripod equipped with an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP).

Positioned on the seafloor, the ADCP measures the speed and direction of ocean currents through the water column. These observations are important for understanding how water moves across Ghana’s continental shelf and how processes such as tides, seasonal circulation and upwelling influence the transport of nutrients, plankton, carbon and suspended particles.

The deployment complements OMI’s ship-based sampling and BGC-Argo observations by providing continuous measurements at a fixed location. Together, these instruments are helping OMI build a clearer picture of how the Gulf of Guinea changes over time and how its coastal waters are connected to the open ocean.