NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center

Ardurra designed the sophisticated life support system for the Southwest Fisheries Science Center's groundbreaking $80 million laboratory, featuring a unique 500,000-gallon indoor test tank supporting three research divisions, headquarters, and NOAA programs. The world's only tank of its type operates as an isolated fresh or seawater system requiring precise thermohaline regulation and anechoic tile integration for advanced acoustical-optical technology development.

The specialized tank supports critical research, including non-lethal surveys of protected and managed species, ship-based surveys of schooling fish, and experiments with marine mammals, turtles, fish, and invertebrates. Extreme environmental control requirements demanded innovative life support system design accommodating rapid temperature regulation, minimal thermoclines, turbulence diffusion, and comprehensive isolation from equipment-generated sound and vibrations.

Key Life Support System Features:

• Designed life support for 500,000-gallon test tank - the world's only facility of its type supporting advanced marine research

• Engineered extreme environmental controls, including rapid temperature regulation down to 0°C with minimal thermocline maintenance

• Implemented thermohaline regulation systems supporting both fresh and seawater operations for diverse research applications

• Integrated anechoic tile compatibility enabling acoustical-optical technology development for protected species surveys

• Designed turbulence diffusion systems minimizing flow disturbances for sensitive marine mammal and fish experiments

• Created sound and vibration isolation, protecting research from process equipment interference through advanced system design

• Incorporated ROV degassing capabilities, removing bubbles from remote underwater vehicles during research operations

The life support system enables groundbreaking marine research while supporting NOAA's mission to develop non-lethal survey technologies for protected species. The unique facility establishes new benchmarks for controlled marine research environments while advancing acoustical-optical technologies essential for sustainable fisheries management and marine conservation.