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Fine-scale coastal bioluminescence using newly developed small bathyphotometers Christen M. Herren*1; JF Case1; DV Holliday2; C Greenlaw2; D McGehee2; D Lapota3 (1) Marine Science Institute, UCSB, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA; (2) BAE Systems, 4699 Murphy Canyon Rd, Suite 102, San Diego, CA 92123; (3) SPAWARSYSCEN, San Diego, Environmental Quality Branch, 53475 Strothe Rd, San Diego, CA 92152,      *(herren@lifesci.ucsb.edu) Open ocean bioluminescence (BL) distribution has been well studied; however, fine-scale costal BL distribution was mostly undescribed in high resolution until recently. We designed a small bathyphotometer (BP) that is adaptable to several operational modes: towed, shipboard profiler, and autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). We can now describe BL distribution spatially down to a resolution of centimeters in real time. These BPs were tested simultaneously in February 2000 off San Diego, CA, over 3 nights to develop a map of BL potential (photons/sec/ml). One BP was deployed in profiling and towed modes. The profiling BP was accompanied by other instruments, including a fluorometer and an 8-frequency zooplankton acoustic sensor (TAPS). Another BP was integrated into a REMUS AUV, which included a fluorometer and an optical backscatter (OBS) unit. For BL species identification, plankton samples were collected from discrete depths using a high-volume pump. To distinguish heterotrophic and autotrophic plankton in our signal, we will determine correlations between fluorescence, OBS, zooplankton concentrations, and bioluminescence. We will report on (1) BL patch size and persistence and (2) community composition in this coastal environment. [Talk: herren.christ.94981]

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