Mooring (oceanography)

A mooring in oceanography is a collection of devices, connected to a wire and temporarily achored on the sea floor. The devices are current meters to measure the direction and speed of ocean currents, sediment traps to catch settling particles from the water column or experimental chambers, e.g. to measure the solubility of certain substances in sea water. A mooring can be free floating or anchored for some days to weeks (short-time). Long-time moorings might be deployed for a maximum duration of two years. The mooring is connected to a weight on the sea floor which is released after sending a signal from a ship. The weight (e.g. old rail wheels) is unrecoverable. Floaters permit the mooring to come up to the surface to be recovered by a research vessel.
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