The opportunities and special features of using a multi-purpose digital holographic camera (DHC) adapted for particle research for various diagnostic tasks, such as plankton investigation in its habitat, optical glass diagnostics, and study of defects in single crystals, are investigated. Experimental research with the DHC carried out and described in this paper has demonstrated the universality of the DHC measurement technology and its effectiveness for solving a number of diagnostic tasks in the study of small particles of different natures in various media.

This study shows that the use of a submersible digital holographic camera as part of a multifunctional hardware and software complex allows carrying out in situ measurements of plankton, automating the process of obtaining data on plankton, as well as classifying plankton species up to an order within the specified taxonomic groups. Such automation ensures monitoring expeditionary or stationary research of species diversity and spatial and temporal organization of zooplankton in conjunction with the hydrophysical parameters of the medium. This paper presents the full-scale results of vertical profiles and daily measurements of plankton made with the use of the submersible digital holographic camera as well as the classification of plankton in laboratory and field conditions in the automatic mode. It is shown that, within the accomplished version, the classification algorithm using the morphological parameter makes it possible to solve the problem quickly (the time required to obtain the result is less than 1 s and depends on the number of plankton particles and the frame size of a restored image); however, the classification accuracy by orders varies within 50–60%.

The paper presents an underwater holographic sensor to study marine particles—a miniDHC digital holographic camera, which may be used as part of a hydrobiological probe for accompanying (background) measurements. The results of field measurements of plankton are given and interpreted, their verification is performed. Errors of measurements and classification of plankton particles are estimated. MiniDHC allows measurement of the following set of background data, which is confirmed by field tests: plankton concentration, average size and size dispersion of individuals, particle size distribution, including on major taxa, as well as water turbidity and suspension statistics. Version of constructing measuring systems based on modern carriers of operational oceanography for the purpose of ecological diagnostics of the world ocean using autochthonous plankton are discussed. The results of field measurements of plankton using miniDHC as part of a hydrobiological probe are presented and interpreted, and their verification is carried out. The results of comparing the data on the concentration of individual taxa obtained using miniDHC with the data obtained by the traditional method using plankton catching with a net showed a difference of no more than 23%. The article also contains recommendations for expanding the potential of miniDHC, its purpose indicators, and improving metrological characteristics.

The paper presents the results of in situ studies of marine particles of different nature using a submersible digital holographic camera (DHC) during the Arctic expedition. It also describes the features, performance specifications, and possibilities of the DHC and the DHC technology. The DHC technology can be used for noninvasive automatic evaluation of spatial and temporal characteristics of plankton, including the distribution of plankton concentrations. The comparison of quantitative analysis of zooplankton net samples and classification results using the DHC revealed that the error of the DHC classification of mesoplankton at the level of the main systematic orders was about 30%. The results of determining the data on the medium, such as water turbidity, according to the radiation shielding factor (degree) by the particles of the Suspension taxon using the DHC technology are presented; the prospects for studying the size of gas bubbles and their volume content according to the Bubble taxon data are shown. The use of holographic data for in situ point estimates is considered.

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