Sea-Bird Scientific ECO PAR Sensor - NexSens

Case Studies

Monitoring Microcystin Dynamics in Ohio Lakes

Monitoring Microcystin Dynamics in Ohio Lakes

Monitoring Microcystin Dynamics in Ohio Lakes

While harmful algal bloom research has become more common in freshwater lakes recently, Stone Lab is one of the oldest research groups that have focused on studying microcystin and other toxins. For more than 100 years, Stone Lab has conducted biology research and provided science education and outreach to the region.Stone Lab’s Research Coordinator and Senior Researcher, Justin Chaffin, oversees ongoing microcystin research on Lake Erie and other Ohio lakes at Stone Lab. Chaffin also helps coordinate outreach events and visiting researchers who can use Stone Lab’s facilities and research vessels. Challenges: Creating a Microcystin Toxicity Forecast

Read Full Article

Long-Term Monitoring in Jordan Pond

Long-Term Monitoring in Jordan Pond

Long-Term Monitoring in Jordan Pond

The United States National Park Service (NPS) is known for managing scenic landscapes and historic sites across the U.S. The parks' natural and cultural resources attract millions of visitors annually, which are important to local communities. One of the primary goals of the NPS is to protect and preserve these parks from pollution, human influence, and climate change.Bill Gawley, a biologist at Acadia National Park for the past 30 years, is part of these initiatives, managing the park's air and water resource programs. The Jordan Pond buoy is one of many monitoring systems active in the park, and Gawley and his team have maintained the buoy and analyzed data since its initial deployment in 2013. Challenge: Real-Time and Accessible Data for Jordan Pond Analysis Because the park was created with the intention of preserving and protecting the region's natural and cultural resources, Gawley's work is essential to the mission of Acadia. The park receives millions of visitors a year and is renowned for its pristine resources, which have been studied for decades.

Read Full Article

Monitoring Ice Covered Lakes

Monitoring Ice Covered Lakes

Monitoring Ice Covered Lakes

Mohonk Lake in the mid-Hudson Valley, New York, is one of many lakes in the U.S. that experiences annual freezes. However, ice conditions are changing rapidly now due to rising global temperatures and changes in other climate conditions. Various shifts in the physical and chemical traits of Mohonk over time have the possibility of changing the seasonal dynamics of the lake, including in the winter.The desire to understand lake dynamics year-round is not exclusive to the Hudson Valley. Instead, the year-long monitoring efforts on Mohonk are part of a multi-lake research initiative sponsored by the National Science Foundation with over a dozen participating lakes across the country. Because the project seeks to highlight winter dynamics and the effect of ice presence on various lake conditions, it was aptly named the Thin Ice Project. Challenge: Monitoring in the Winter Dr. David Richardson, a professor in the Biology Department at SUNY New Paltz, is responsible for monitoring efforts in Mohonk Lake, which is one of the lakes that will serve as a reference point for conditions in lakes that experience freezing. Compared to ice-free lakes, winter monitoring in Mohonk could present some challenges.

Read Full Article

|