Harmful algal bloom (HAB) monitoring has become a popular topic of research in limnology. While most monitoring efforts center on chlorophyll measurement, the real impacts of HABs are connected to the toxins produced by cyanobacterial blooms, which can be challenging to measure. Due to their impact on human health, establishing models that allow for the […]
Water quality monitoring in estuaries prior to the 1990s was labor-intensive and sporadic, as samples had to be collected and brought back to the laboratory to be analyzed using lengthy procedures with specialized equipment and reagents. During the late 1990s, new innovations in automated water quality sensors made it possible to take measurements directly in […]
Open water buoys, also referred to as data buoys, provide a stable, floating platform for deploying environmental monitoring instruments in lakes, rivers, reservoirs, estuaries, bays, and coastal or ocean waters. These systems are essential for collecting real-time data in locations that may be difficult or dangerous to access using traditional methods. Buoys can support a […]
Multi-parameter monitoring platforms enable comprehensive environmental data collection by integrating multiple sensors into a single system. These platforms measure a variety of parameters in water, soil, and air. A multi-parameter platform might include, for example, a weather station and water quality sensors for an environmental study on the effect of local weather conditions on a […]
The Great Lakes are in a state of rapid and continuous change resulting from a host of environmental and anthropogenic stressors. Such circumstances require unique, targeted monitoring solutions to meet environmental demands and continuously document these changes. Hayden Henderson, a research engineer with the Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC), designs such systems, working with research […]
In response to a crude oil spill in 2016 on the Kentucky River, Kentucky’s Emergency Response Team (ERT) purchased three NexSens data buoys with the intention of deploying the small platform systems in a future environmental emergency. Challenge: Quick Deployment and Critical Data Collection First and foremost, any monitoring solution needs to be deployed quickly. […]
When the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed on March 26, 2024, NOAA was one of the first groups contacted as the city of Baltimore sought to minimize impacts to transport on the Patapsco River. As salvage efforts progressed in early April, real-time tidal currents data became necessary to help ensure safe navigation through the collapse […]
