Ecosystems Archives

June 4, 2012

Beach Monitoring GIS System

Example of Beach Monitoring GIS SystemManagement IssueState public health agencies, in conjunction with local governments, routinely monitor the bacterial water quality of the Southeast’s ocean swimming beaches. These monitoring data are used to post swimming advisories, with the goal of allowing the public to make informed decisions concerning recreating in waters presenting a potential for adverse health effects. Per current EPA guidelines, agencies test for the bacterial indicator, Enterococcus, to determine bacterial water quality and issue water quality swimming advisories. The method used to determine Enterococcus concentrations requires a 24-hour incubation period before results can be assessed. Decision makers are therefore issuing and lifting advisories based on the previous day’s water quality. In partnership with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC), a collaborative team including the University of South Carolina and University of Maryland, is enhancing a user application with new models and an automated, database driven tool for bacteria estimates and visualization of model results for enhanced prediction and analysis of this public health concern.ApproachThe project builds on previous efforts and incorporates new models that provide rainfall estimates using radar-based data which can be averaged over a watershed area. These radar data provide improvements ...

April 30, 2010

Basic Observation Buoy (BOB): Educational Water Quality Monitoring

What is BOB?Basic Observation Buoy (BOB) is a floating platform with capacity to carry a suite of environmental sensors. BOB can be moored to bottom or to a dock in quiet waters. Based on concepts developed by Doug Levin, Ph.D., located at NOAA’s IOOS (Integrated Ocean Observing System) Program Office, BOB is an exciting collaborative among SECOORA scientists and educators.The BOB project involves precollege to undergraduate level student-designed, built and deployed buoys that host data collection, storage, and transmission capabilities.The target cost for a BOB is $1500, inclusive of the buoy structure, sensor(s), data storage, and transmissionSensors determine the parameters collected by BOB and may include meteorological parameters, as well as wind speed and conductivity/salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH, chlorophyll A, and turbidity.BOB I Workshop: Selecting instruments for BOB, Image Credit: Lundie SpenceBackground DocumentsA Manual for Building a BASIC OBSERVATION BUOY (BOB)Basic Observation Buoy (BOB) Objectives for 2010BOB/FLO Sensor Suggestions Building Buoys for Observing and STEM Education (August 17, 2009 MTS-IEEE Oceans Conference Proceedings)Build-A-Buoy (BABs) Content Based, Hands-On, Education for Kindergarteners Guide to the Elementary Basic Observation Buoy (eBOB)BOB in ActionEmail communications@secoora.org to add your projects here!BOB has been incorporated into undergraduate and ...

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Beach Monitoring GIS System

Basic Observation Buoy (BOB): Educational Water Quality Monitoring

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Regional Coastal Ocean Observing Systems