A Fixed Robotic Profiler System to Sense Real-Time Episodic Pulses in Corpus Christi Bay

Abstract

Real-time observations of coastal environments are needed to capture episodic events that control aquatic ecosystem dynamics. The National Science Foundation established the Water and Environmental Research Systems Network to test various aspects of real-time observatory design and operation, and Corpus Christi Bay (TX) was selected as one of the Water and Environmental Research Systems test beds. Implementation of a real-time observation system faces challenges such as use of heterogeneous monitoring instrumentation, measurement of critical parameters at greater spatial and temporal resolution, reduction of sensor biofouling, reliable data acquisition and delivery, and data management. We developed a robotic profiler system that moves a suite of water quality sensors in the water column, collecting data at multiple depths. This system significantly reduces biofouling of the sensors and accommodates a diverse array of sensors that measure various environmental parameters. In addition, the associated cyberinfrastructure provides sensor data to stakeholders in real time and allows remote access to the fixed robotic platforms, which supports instrument management, data quality assurance and quality control, implementation of event-based sampling schemes, sensor troubleshooting, and so on. Moreover, it can process diverse data streams and reliably transfer measured data to the users. Two snapshots of observational data are presented in this article to illustrate the system capability in measuring parameters that can shed light on important processes controlling episodic events in the bay.