A Submersible Holographic Camera for the Undisturbed Characterization of Optically Relevant Particles in Water (HOLOCAM)

Our long-term goal is to develop novel oceanographic instrumentation to address fundamental questions in ocean optics. The primary goal of this project is to develop a holographic instrument capable of imaging and characterizing natural (i.e. undisturbed) particle fields in the ocean. The longterm science goal is to understand the link between suspended particles and the bulk scattering properties of natural waters. We believe in-situ digital holographic microscopy, recently developed and employed for both fluid dynamics and biological studies, has the capability to obtain critical data relevant to this goal.