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Sensor maintenance during the ACO-8 cruise (5/28-6/2/2021): the BSP-5 with CTD4 and CAM2 with lights were installed.

Welcome to the ALOHA Cabled Observatory Database

The ACO project is committed to providing free and open access to its data set in a timely manner, and the use of these data is encouraged. Every 8 hours, we are posting updated files of near-bottom temperature, salinity and current velocities. These data are from sensors sampled at 1 sec intervals, except pressure which is collected at 0.5 sec intervals. Data are calibrated using manufacturers calibration information. See associated Readme files for metadata.

The continuing flow of these data depends on continuous funding, and that depends in part on the credits that we given from the data users. If you use ACO data in your project, we would appreciate your acknowledgment of the ACO project. The following should be cited in publications: "This publication is based upon ALOHA Cabled Observatory observations supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation under grant OCE-0939570" A preprint and reprint of the publications utilizing ACO data would be appreciated.

Please also consider the benefits of possible scientific collaborations in the analysis of these data. If you use these data in your project, please contact the principal investigators Bruce Howe and James Potemra to avoid possible duplication of efforts.

Bruce Howe, PI
Department of Ocean and Resources Engineering
University of Hawaii at Manoa
2540 Dole Street
Honolulu, HI 96822
e-mail: bhowe at hawaii.edu

James Potemra, PI
Hawai‘i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology
University of Hawaii at Manoa
1680 East-West Road, POST Building, Office 602
Honolulu, HI 96822
e-mail: jimp at hawaii.edu

Welcome to the ACO FTP database

To access files you can use the ftp command line (or sftp on a Mac). See the instructions below. If you only have Windows, download the FileZilla application and type mananui.soest.hawaii.edu/pub/aco under HOST, and click on the QUICKCONNECT. The ACO files will appear on the application's window on the right. Copy the files by dragging them to your computer's window on the left.

The following is an example of how to use FTP to obtain ACO data. The workstation's Internet address is mananui.soest.hawaii.edu, or 128.171.151.87 (either address should work).

  1. At the Prompt >, type ftp 128.171.151.87 or ftp mananui.soest.hawaii.edu.
  2. When asked for your login name, type anonymous.
  3. When asked for a password, type in your e-mail address.
  4. To change to the ACO database, type cd /pub/aco. To view files type ls. A directory of files and subdirectories will appear.
  5. To obtain CTD data from the Observatory instruments, type cd ctd, then go to the corresponding year/month directory and use the get <filename> command to copy the file that you need.
  6. To exit type bye.

The following list shows the name of the corresponding directory in parenthesis for each instument's data.

  • Temperature and Salinity from Observatory Instruments (ctd)
  • Temperature, Salinity and Oxygen from Basic Sensor Package 1 (ctd_bsp)
  • Temperature, Salinity and Oxygen from Basic Sensor Package 2 (ctd_bsp2)
  • Temperature, Salinity and Oxygen from Basic Sensor Package 4 (ctd_bsp4)
  • Temperature, Salinity, Pressure and Oxygen from Basic Sensor Package 5 (ctd_bsp5)
  • Currents (adp)
  • Pressure from sensor in the Junction Box (prs)
  • Pressure from sensor in Basic Sensor Package 2 (prs_bsp2)
  • Pressure from sensor in Basic Sensor Package 4 (prs_bsp4)
  • Fluorescence and Turbidity from Basic Sensor Package 2 (fln_bsp2)
  • Fluorescence and Turbidity from Basic Sensor Package 4 (fln_bsp4)
  • Seismograms (seis)