Checking Tripod Release Mechanism

As part of an investigation of the mechanisms of coastal change in the Carolinas, instrumented tripods were deployed on Diamond Shoals near Cape Hatteras, NC. These tripods recorded data quantifying the currents, waves, turbidity, temperature and salinity at several levels near the seafloor between January and April 2009.  Proper operation of the release is required for recovery of the instruments after several months deployed on the seafloor, so they are always carefully inspected before deployment.