NEPTUNE: A Fiber-Optic Cable to Inner Space

The goal of the NEPTUNE project is to establish a regional ocean observatory in the northeast Pacific Ocean. The Projects 3,000-km network of fiber-optic/power cables will encircle and cross the Juan de Fuca tectonic plate in the northeast Pacific Ocean, an area roughly 500 km by 1,000 km in size. Approximately 25 experimental sites will be established at nodes along the cable. These sites will be instrumented to interact with physical, chemical, and biological phenomena that operate across multiple scales of space and time. Sensor networks will fill in the volume between nodes and will include multipurpose robotic underwater vehicles that will reside at depth, recharge at nodes, and respond to events such as submarine volcanic eruptions. Via the Internet, the network will provide real-time information and command-and-control capabilities to shore-based users.