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Absfmct -Hydrocarbon seep monitoring is a area applicable for new advances in mass spectrometry. Recent developments are allowing unprecedented levels of trace contaminant measurement in the deep-ocean. With funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), our engineering design team constructed a new mass spectrometer-based in situ analysis system for work in the deep ocean environment over prolonged deployment periods.Our design goals were a depth capability of up to 4,000 m water depth (400 bars hydrostatic pressure) and autonomous operation for periods of up to sir months to a year, depending upon type of exteFa1 battery system used or other deployment circumstances, e.g., availability of a power cable or fuel cell power source. We chose a membrane introduction mass spectrometry (MIMS) sampling approach, which allows for dissolved gases and volatile organics introduction into the MS vacuum system. The MIMS approach and the hydrophobic, silicon-coated membrane chosen both draw upon our previous experience with this technology in the deep ocean. The membrane has been tested to 400 bars in a series of long-term hydrostatic pressure tests, which extends the 200-bar working depth rating of this membrane by a factor of 2.

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