SEATTLE (AP) — The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution on Cape Cod has received nearly $100 million in federal grants to help develop and operate the underwater observatories.

And the University of Washington has received about $126 million in federal money to build an ocean observatory in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Washington and Oregon. Underwater stations will be built in locales worldwide, from the Gulf of Alaska to about 75 miles southeast of Newport, Rhode Island.

They'll measure variables such as water temperature and current movements.

Woods Hole scientist Robert Wellers says the stations will help scientists make prolonged deep water observations that aren't possible now and save money spent on data collection. Wellers hopes the system will be fully operational by 2015.

The vast network of fiberoptic and power cables and stations will relay continuous scientific data and video images from the depths of the sea floor via the Internet.

Officials said it will change the way researchers get information about the ocean by allowing them to monitor ocean currents, volcanic activity, water chemistry and other ocean processes in real-time from land-based computers.

UW Regional Scales Nodes: www.interactiveoceans.washington.edu.