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Long term study of sedimentation and biofouling at cascadia basin, the site of the pacific ocean neutrino experiment

Aghaei O, Agostini M, Agreda S, Alexander Wight A, Barbeau PS, Baron AJ, Bash S, Bellenghi C, Biffard B, Boehmer M, Brandenburg M, Brussow D, Cedarblade-Jones N, Charlton M, Crudele B, Danninger M, C. De Leo F, DeYoung T, Fuchs F, Gärtner A, Garriz J, Ghuman D, Ginzkey L, Gousy-Leblanc V, Grant D, Grimes A, Haack C, Halliday R, Hembroff D, Henningsen F, Hutchinson J, Jenkyns R, Karanth S, Kerscher T, Kershtein S, Kopański K, Kopper C, Krause P, Krauss CB, Kulin I, Kurahashi N, Lagunas Gualda C, Lam A, Lavallee T, Leismüller K, Li R, Loipolder S, Magaña Ponce A, Magel S, Malecki P, Marshall GG, Martin T, Mihaly S, Miller C, Molberg N, Moore R, Nührenbörger B, Nichol B, Noga W, Ørsøe R, Papp L, Parrish V, Paulson M, Pfahler P, Pirenne B, Price E, Rahlin A, Rangen M, Resconi E, Ridsdale C, Robertson S, Round A, Salazar-Gallegos D, Scholz A, Schumacher L, Sharma S, Spannfellner C, Stacho J, Taboada I, Thurber AR, Tradewell M, Twagirayezu JP, Un Nisa M, Veenstra B, Wagner S, Weaver C, Whitehorn N, Winter L, Wolf M, Wroński R, Wynne JH, Yañez JP, Zaalishvili A (2026)

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Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2026

Journal

Book Volume: 86

Article Number: 172

Journal Issue: 2

DOI: 10.1140/epjc/s10052-026-15319-6

Abstract

STRings for Absorption Length in Water (STRAW)-a and b were pathfinder instruments deployed to characterize the anticipated site of the Pacific Ocean Neutrino Experiment (P-ONE), which is a future neutrino telescope that will be located in the North Pacific Ocean. Measurements of the evolution of the optical transmission efficiency from STRAW-a showed a decline over the detector’s lifetime for the upward-facing modules. Video footage of the pathfinders strongly suggested this decline was caused by biofouling and sedimentation. We measure the effect of biofouling and sedimentation to be a decrease in the transparency of upward-facing optical surfaces over 5 years of operations. A majority of downward-facing optical surfaces, which will dominate P-ONE’s sensitivity to astrophysical sources, showed no visible biofouling. Extrapolations motivated by biological growth models estimated that these losses started around 2.5 years after deployment, and suggest a reduction in transparency ranging from 35% of the original to complete obscuration for the upward-facing modules. Samples of biofouling were taken in order to identify the microbial diversity of these organisms and inform potential intervention strategies. Results of the microbial samples and a candidate anti-biofouling strategy that will be tested on upcoming P-ONE instruments are discussed.

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How to cite

APA:

Aghaei, O., Agostini, M., Agreda, S., Alexander Wight, A., Barbeau, P.S., Baron, A.J.,... Zaalishvili, A. (2026). Long term study of sedimentation and biofouling at cascadia basin, the site of the pacific ocean neutrino experiment. European Physical Journal C: Particles and Fields, 86(2). https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-026-15319-6

MLA:

Aghaei, O., et al. "Long term study of sedimentation and biofouling at cascadia basin, the site of the pacific ocean neutrino experiment." European Physical Journal C: Particles and Fields 86.2 (2026).

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