Testing and integration of a cabled ocean observatory: Complexity is greater than the sum of the off-the-shelf parts

Selection and integration of instruments for cabled seafloor observatories present challenges which can differ significantly from traditional autonomous, short-term deployments of individual devices. Both NEPTUNE Canada and instrument providers have learned a great deal from the experiences of specifying, procuring, testing, integrating and deploying complex combinations of seafloor instruments on its observatory in the Northeast Pacific. The current NEPTUNE Canada science suite (i.e., exclusive of the network infrastructure) consists of 130 instruments (and many more sensors), 170 cables of various types, 12 Junction Boxes and 636 connectors.