Test of the OPUS (TRIOS) nitrate sensor on a BGC float

In the framework of the EA-RISE project, one of the task is to test the low-cost nitrate OPUS sensor from TRIOS on a float and to compare it with the standard BGC-Argo nitrate sensor (the SUNA sensor from Seabird).

The Nitrate OPUS sensor has been fully interfaced by the LOV (Laboratory of Villefranche, France) with an NKE float (CTS5-Payload) and a SUNA was clamped and only powered by the float. Two deployments were carried out already in Villefranche and surrounding area with the OPUS together with the SUNA. The 1st deployment was on July 1st for seven days and then the second on November 20th for five days. Those two tests were fully successful and the data are now being processed for analysis.