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Letter of Transmittal
LOCOS
150 W. University Blvd
Melbourne, FL 32901
April 23, 2008
Dr. Stephen Wood, PE
Department of Marine and Environmental Systems
150 W. University Blvd.
Melbourne, FL 32901
Dear Dr. Wood, PE:
Enclosed is the recommendation report “Proposal of Improvement and Expansion of
FLCOOS”, authorized by Shannon Barrette, Joe Caldwell, Marty Durkin, Christian
Flemming, Stephanie Groleau, and Anthony Tedeschi, Senior Engineers of the Company
LOCOS. Our Senior Engineer Team has researched FLCOOS’s purposes and goals
thoroughly to develop this new system for Littoral Observation and Communication
System, which is the prime object of our company. This document includes our research
background, the new system, and the finalized budget.
Thank you for allowing LOCOS to submit this proposal.
Sincerely,
The LOCOS Senior Engineering Team
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Proposal of Improvement and
Expansion of FLCOOS
Prepared By:
LOCOS Senior Engineering Team
Shannon Barrette
Joe Caldwell
Marty Durkin
Christian Flemming
Stephanie Groleau
Anthony Tedeschi
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Table of Contents
Page #
Executive Summary…………………………………………………….…………………6
Introduction………………………………………………………………..………………6
Background………………………………………………………………………………..7
Hurricane Stations………………………………………………………………………..12
Seismic Application………………………………...……………………………………14
Weather……...…………………………………………………………………………...16
Ant’s Drifters………………………………………………………………………….…19
Workhorse Waves Array…………………………………………………………………20
Vessel Water Quality Monitoring System……...………………………………………..25
Biological Monitoring……………………………………………………………………28
Budget……………………………………………………………………………………31
Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………….34
References………………………………………………………………………………..35
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List of Figures
Page #
Figure 1: Integrated multiple systems………………………………………………......…7
Figure 2: In situ sea surface temperature ...………………………………………….....…8
Figure 3: Interpolated sea surface temperature …………………..…………………...…..8
Figure 4: Water level……………..…………………………………………………...…..9
Figure 5: Winds............................................................................................................…...9
Figure 6: Near real-time data providers ………………….…………………………...…10
Figure 7: GCOOS in situ and land stations …………………………………………...…11
Figure 8: ADCP…………………………………………………………………..…...…12
Figure 9: Thermistor…………………………………………………..........................…12
Figure 10: Cup Anemometer……………………………………………………….....…13
Figure 11: Aneriod Barometer ………………………………………………………..…13
Figure 12: Hygrometer……………….…………………………………………..…........13
Figure 13: Seismometer ……………………………………………………………....…15
Figure 14: Weather Station Locations …………………………………………...…...…16
Figure 15: SST Contour: Atlantic Coast ……………………………………………...…17
Figure 16: SST Contour: Gulf Coast …………………………………………….…...…17
Figure 17: Ocean Surface Winds ………………………………………………..........…17
Figure 18: Anemometer…………………………………………………………….....…17
Figure19: Rain Gauge……………………………………………………….………...…18
Figure 20: Barometric Pressure Sensor …………………………………….………...…18
Figure 21: Temperature and Humidity Sensor ………………………………..……...…18
Figure 22: Drifter Circuit Diagram …………………………………………………...…20
Figure 23: Workhorse instrument and its Locations …………………………..……...…21
Figure 24: Workhorse 1…………………………………………….............................…22
Figure 25: Workhorse 2……………………………………………………..………...…22
Figure 26: Workhorse 3……………………………………………………………..…...23
Figure 27: Workhorse 4…………………………………………………..…………...…23
Figure 28: Workhorse 5…………………………………………………..…………...…24
Figure 29: Workhorse 6………………………………………………………..……...…24
Figure 30: Workhorse 7……………………………………………………..………...…25
Figure 31: How FerryMon works ………………………………………..…………...…26
Figure 32: Vessel Water Quality Monitoring Routes and Fleet ……………………...…27
Figure 33: Bio Station Layout………………………………………………………....…28
Figure 34: Spectrophotometer ………………………………………………………...…29
Figure 35: Fluorometer ……………………………………….………………….…...…29
Figure 36: Chlorometer …………………………………………………………….....…30
Figure 37: CTD……………………………………………..........................................…30
Figure 39: Next Generation ATLAS BOUY & Instrumentation cost ……...………...…32
Figure 40: LOCOS communication cost ……………………………………………...…33
Figure 41: Total LOCOS instrumentation Cost …………………………….………...…34
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Executive Summary
The marine environment is very important to the state of Florida and its thriving
community. Environmental predictions and marine recourse management can be
beneficial from both economical and environmental standpoints. A deeper understanding
of these surroundings can improve resource management and the prediction of changes in
the marine environment. The instruments and monitoring system currently in place are
not enough to create a clear picture of what is happening in Florida’s ocean and estuaries.
While it would be impossible to know every detail, there is more that can and must be
done.
LOCOS, Littoral Observation and Communication Systems, is proposing a plan that will
broaden the coverage of ocean monitoring off the coast of Florida. This increase in data
collection will expand knowledge of the marine environment and serve as a basis for
improvements in environmental predictions and coastal zone management. The plan is to
deploy an integrated system of instruments and buoys that will look at the following:






Hurricane heat potential
Seismic activity
Meteorological and oceanographic conditions
Coastal processes
Biological activity
Water quality
This array of systems augments what FLCOOS instruments and systems already exist and
will range from inshore to offshore waters. Greater knowledge of our dynamic
environment is of great importance to the Florida community’s economic and
environmental future.
Introduction
Introduction
The objective of the Littoral Observation and Communication Systems (LOCOS) Project
is to provide more in depth system for ocean monitoring around the Florida cost. While
it is impossible to record and analysis every detail, LOCOS is incorporating the current
instrument in the field with a wide array of new instruments to collect and record all the
necessary details. With the deployment of this system there will be a greater knowledge
of the dynamic of the ocean inshore and offshore. This is important because with this
great source of new info it will help Florida’s community economically and
environmentally.
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Background
The umbrella organization of all worldwide oceanographic observation systems is
GOOS, Global Ocean Observation System. IOOS, the Integrated Ocean Observation
System, is the United States’ contribution to this worldwide task. The draft for this began
in May 2000 under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, NOAA. This
multidisciplinary system’s purpose is to provide continuous quality data from the nation’s
oceans, great lakes, and inner coastal waters. The United States has seven societal goals
for the IOOS:
1. Improve predictions of climate change and weather and their effects on coastal
communities and the nation;
2. Improve the safety and efficiency of maritime operations;
3. Mitigate the effects of natural hazards more effectively;
4. Improve national and homeland security;
5. Reduce public health risks;
6. Protect and restore healthy coastal ecosystems more effectively; and
7. Enable the sustained use of ocean and coastal resources. (ocean.us)
Figure 1: An illustrated example of integrated multiple systems (ocean.us)
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There are three components of the ocean observation systems: (1) data analysis and
modeling, (2) data management and communications, and (3) observations and data
telemetry (ocean.us). The total system is a “combination of instruments on buoys,
satellites, ships, drifters, underwater vehicles, and radar”
(http://www.marine.usf.edu/flcoos/#documents). The observation and telemetry system
is what consists of the in situ sensing and the remote sensing by satellite, aircraft or land.
IOOS is then broken down into 13 national regions, and Florida is in the Southeast
Region, SEACOOS. SEACOOS covers the East Coast of Florida and the states north.
The following images are near real-time data maps from the SEACOOS website.
Figure 2: In situ sea surface temperature
(http://seacoos.org/Data%20Access%20and%20Mapping/cached-images/)
Figure 3: Interpolated sea surface temperature
(http://seacoos.org/Data%20Access%20and%20Mapping/cached-images/)
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Figure 4: Water level
(http://seacoos.org/Data%20Access%20and%20Mapping/cached-images/)
Figure 5: Winds
(http://seacoos.org/Data%20Access%20and%20Mapping/cached-images/)
This image shows regions of Florida and the Southeast that are covered by smaller groups
or systems. The East coast of Florida is clearly lacking in instrumentation based on the
water level and sea surface temperature figures, and that the East Florida Shelf
Information System, EFSIS, has had hardly any development since 2007 by the
University of Miami.
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Figure 6: Near real-time data providers
(http://seacoos.org/Data%20Access%20and%20Mapping/)
On the other side of Florida is the Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observation System,
GCOOS. This region is far better covered by University of Southern Florida and Tampa
Bay partners than the East Coast.
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Figure 7: GCOOS in situ and land stations
(http://ocean.tamu.edu/GCOOS/System/florida.htm)
State and private universities, non-profit organization, and private companies (like
LOCOS) that have an interest in Florida’s coastal environment have come together to
create Florida Coastal Ocean Observation Systems (FLCOOS) Consortium. The
FLCOOS Consortium’s purpose is to a) design and implement an integrated COOS and
b) improve communication between people in Florida interested in the marine
environment (http://www.marine.usf.edu/flcoos/#documents). The number of areas in
Florida that would benefit from quality COOS data and communication is endless. The
following are areas that the FLCOOS Consortium has highlighted: Ecosystem Monitoring
and Assessment, Modeling Systems, Water Quality, Understanding Effects from Climate
Change, Watershed and Freshwater flow, Measuring Coastal Economies and assessing
Human Impacts on Resources, Harmful Algal Blooms, Public Health Issues, Living
Marine Resources, Habitat Mapping and Characterization, and Aquaculture
(http://www.marine.usf.edu/flcoos/#documents).
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The purpose of the COOS and LOCOS’ COOS project is improve weather predictions,
improve quality of marine ecosystem, reduce public health risks, and enable sustained use
of Florida’s ocean and coastal resources.
Hurricane Stations
Due to a large gap in NDBC station coverage on the East coast of Florida, LOCOS has
designed hurricane stations along the continental shelf and stations leading back to the
coast on the northern and southern boundaries of the state. These stations are out this far
in order to detect hurricanes and tropical storms earlier, but mainly to get large quantities
of information firsthand as the storms move toward Florida. There are eight NDBC
stations in the Gulf, so seventeen hurricane stations have been added, both on the east
coast and shelf, along with filling in the gaps between the Gulf NDBC. These stations
will measure hurricane heat potential, because the larger the heat potential, the greater the
amount of energy available for storm intensification. This is measured by a thermistor
string; other instruments include GPS, ADCP, and a simple surface meteorological
package. All instruments included are described below.
An ADCP measures water current velocity over a range of depths by using SONAR.
Ceramic transducers emit pulses than bounce off particles in the water. The change in
frequency due to the Doppler Effect is detected by the receiver. Other instruments on the
ADCP include an amplifier, accurate clock, temperature sensor, compass, pitch and roll
sensor, analog to digital converter, memory, and a digital signal processor.
Figure 8: ADCP
A thermistor is a sensor whose resistance changes with temperature change. As
temperature rises, the resistance of the semiconductor decreases.
Figure 9: Thermistor
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Four satellites solve for position and time (x, y, z, and t) using geometry and
trigonometry. Using an atomic clock, the Doppler Effect, dead reckoning, last known
position, and inertial navigation, modern GPS is highly accurate and readily available.
In order to measure wind direction, four hemispherical cups are mounted on horizontal
arms 90 degrees from each other. The air flow turns cups proportional to wind speed.
Size and diameter of cups must also be taken into consideration.
Figure 10: Cup Anemometer
A wind vane, also known as a weather vane, this instrument points in the direction of the
wind and a sensor at the foot of the vane notifies the station of the wind direction.
A barometer measures the pressure of the air by measuring the weight of the air column
above it. Inside is a metal cell or cells that expand or contract when air pressure changes.
Levers magnify the small changes and move the dial to show the pressure on the
interface.
Figure 11: Aneriod Barometer
A hygrometer measures relative humidity by comparing two thermometers, one with a
dry bulb and the other with a wet bulb. The water will evaporate from the wet bulb,
lowering the temperature. Relative humidity is found by comparing the dry bulb
(ambient temperature) to the difference in temperature between the two thermometers.
Figure 12: Hygrometer
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Seismic Application
Seismic Evaluation in Florida:
Florida has been a typically calm area for seismic activity but there have been a few
mentionable times in the last century that noticeable seismic activity has been
experienced. The most recent earthquake occurred on Sunday February 10th 2006 and a
magnitude of 5.8 was recorded. Since then seismic activity has been continually recorded
but none was of the magnitude that has made news such as the one felt of the cost of
South Florida and as far as New Orleans. Seismic activity is well pronounced in areas
south of Florida from the Bahamas through to the Caribbean and onto South America.
This was a main reason seismic monitoring in Florida will be beneficial. The world is
undergoing very dynamic changes and Florida and the United States are no different from
the changes. Though the monitoring and research may seem unviable and cost effective at
this present time the earlier that monitoring is began in this region the better mitigation
and prediction can be made , which will ultimately reduce the effects experienced by this
natural phenomena.
In the proposal that is being put forth a relatively cheap method is going to be used for
the monitoring. Though there are many industries that develop machinery and apparatus
for this type of research the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution has developed a short
term monitoring device that is going to be utilized for our monitoring. Three monitoring
buoys are going to be strategically place in South, West and East coasts of Florida to
ensure all the regions receive adequate coverage. As mentioned this is a mobile short
time data acquisition system that is going to be deployed and retrieved at six month
intervals at which time to logged data will be recorded and analyzed. There are larger
scale fully integrated real time data acquisition systems but for the purposes for this
project it cost outweighs it benefits and practicality. Below is the system which is going
to be utilized and from the pictures you are able to notice its compact size which is one of
the main reasons it was chosen for this project.
Ocean Bottom Seismometer:
The Seismometer is designed by Woods Hole Oceanographic institution in partnership
with US Geological Service. The Seismometer cost varies depending on the complexity
of the internal components but its base price is valued approximately $45000 USD and
can escalate to the hundreds of thousands. The seismometer setup will included the
following instruments placed into two glass balls of 17" and 12" diameter:
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The larger glass ball will consist of:
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Data logger
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Clock
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Time release electronics and recovery aids
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The smaller ball holds:

A battery pack
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The sensors are a hydrophone
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Vertical-component 4.5 Hz seismometer
The set up will also include components such as an anchor, chains and swivels. The setup
for the figure can be observed bellow.Information on this particular and other
seismometers developed by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution website.
Figure13: Seismometer
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Weather Stations
There are 17 weather stations recommended to be placed off the coast of Florida. These
weather stations will be connected to buoys at said locations. The locations are shown in
Figure 14 as the green tacks. Since meteorological data is obtained through satellite, these
weather stations’ purpose will be for comparison and research, which is a prime object of
FLCOOS. Therefore, these locations were chosen in consideration for meteorologists in
retrieving research.
Figure 14: Weather Station Locations
Because meteorologists prefer numerous target areas with large amounts of data
available, the locations were chosen in broad ranges where a diverse amount of data can
be taken. In deciding location positions, sea surface temperature contours and ocean
surface winds were considered in determining what would make for diverse locations for
data collection.
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Figure 15: SST Contour: Atlantic Coast
Figure 16: SST Contour: Gulf Coast
Figure 17: Ocean Surface Winds
The instruments needed to be placed on the weather buoys include: anemometer, rain
gauge, barometric pressure sensor, and temperature and humidity sensor. An
anemometer measures wind speed and direction. This instrument is for measuring wind
speed and direction in marine environments. It has special waterproof bearing lubricant
and a sealed cable pigtail in place of the standard junction box. It is resistant to corrosion
from sea air environments and atmospheric pollutants.
Figure 18: Anemometer
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A rain gauge measures the fallen precipitation gathered over a set period of time. The rain
gauge uses a tipping bucket mechanism for rainfall measurement. The bucket geometry
and material are selected for maximum water release, thereby reducing contamination
and errors.
Figure 19: Rain Gauge
A barometric pressure sensor measures atmospheric pressure. The barometer is in a
weatherproof casing and has U-bolt mounting for attachment to buoys.
Figure 20: Barometric Pressure Sensor
The temperature and humidity sensor measures just that. This is a probe that features
outputs for both temperature and humidity, junction box for cable terminations and
separate sensor elements for calibration.
Figure 21: Temperature and Humidity Sensor
These particular instruments were chosen due to their industrial uses for the marine
environment. A total cost of each of these instruments, or cost of instrumentation on one
buoy, is $3,070. The total cost for one buoy including mooring is $71,070. For the 17
stations the cost will be $1,208,190.
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Ants Drifters
Ant’s Drifters are an autonomous buoy which drifts along with the ocean currents, and
travels vertically in the water column. The drifters are going to be deployed from
weather buoys located along the east coast of Florida. They will be released twice a day:
1 at zero hundred GMT and 1200 GMT, from each weather buoy. The drifters will travel
along the surface and begin to submerge until it detects it comes within five feet of the
bottom. It will then begin to ascend until it surfaced, where it will float, so it can transmit
data via satellite. It will repeat this process multiple times until it comes ashore or battery
power diminishes.
Ant’s Drifter is estimated to be 1.5 ft^2 and spherical in shape to reduce drag and snag
potential. It will consist of a pressure housing which will hold a temperature, pressure
sensors. It has the option of adding chemical, & conductivity sensors if the need was for
that type of data. It will also hold a data logger to record all the results of each of the
sensors and a GPS sensor to allow for tracking of the drifter. The last piece of
instrument is a modem to transmit the data to a satellite.

Microcontroller: three different microcontrollers were considered for use
including Texas Instrument’s MSP430 line, EM Microelectronic’s EM line and
Atmel’s AVR line. In the end the most logical choice was the MSP430 due to
price, lowest power consumption and most available resources.

Memory: while browsing through the MSP430 datasheets an application note
regarding the interface between a SD card and the MSP430. Since SD cards are
inexpensive, power efficient and provide a large amount of space this seemed
like the logical choice without considering other memory choices.

Modem/service plan: After searching for an alternative to Iridium it was found
that Iridium was the best choice for our device. Only Iridium’s global service
allows you to send and receive voice, fax, messaging and data regardless of
location or availability of local communications infrastructure.

Battery: Lithium-ion, Twicell, Alkaline and Lithium were all researched. The
choice for a battery has been narrowed down to either alkaline or lithium due to
lowest price and highest energy density respectively.

Pressure sensor: sensors from American Sensor Technology, Honeywell,
General Electric and Omega were all considered. The choice has been narrowed
down to the AST 4700 series from American Sensor Technology due to low
current consumption.
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Temperature sensor: thermistors from Omega and Quality Thermistor were
considered. The choice has been narrowed down to QT06001 series because of
low cost and works with the pressure casing.
Figure 22: Drifter Circuit Diagram.
Workhorse Waves Arrays
The Workhorse Waves Array is a directional wave gauging and current profiling ADCP.
The WHS600 with a pressure sensor has the ability to collect wave, current and tidal data
in real time using 12 independent sensors and array processing. Wave parameters
calculated are height, period, and direction. Current speed and direction is calculated
through out the water column accurate to +/- 0.3 cm/s or 0.3%. Tides are measured using
the pressure data collected with 0.25 % accuracy. Each of the seven individual
instruments being deployed costs $21,600 for a total of $151,200. 6000 meters of
power/data cable will be needed to connect these gauges to a land based communications
station, costing about $720,000.
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Figure 23: Workhorse instrument and its Locations
These instruments will be positioned off the east coast of Florida in water depths that are
too shallow for buoys. Ideally they will be placed at the closure depth, where sediment
transport becomes less significant, at around 25 ft. depths for many of the locations. They
will be mounted to the bottom in pods keeping them out of the way of any trawling or
fishing nets. The workhorses are located near currently in place coastal weather stations
and Scripps wave rider buoys. This way the workhorse data can be analyzed in
correspondence with the atmospheric conditions such as winds and pressure that govern
the waves and currents. In three locations the workhorse wave data can be compared to
the wave measurements in deeper water. The data from the workhorses will be able to be
used in accordance with beach profile surveys to get a better understanding of sediment
transport and improve prediction of coastal changes. This is very important for coastal
structure design and beach nourishment projects.
Workhorse 1 is located just north of the Mayport Inlet. Data from this instrument may be
analyzed in unison with data from the NOAA weather station (MYPF1) and the Scripps
wave rider buoy (41112) shown in the below images.
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Figure 24: Workhorse 1.
Workhorse 2 is located offshore from the St. Augustine pier. The data/power cable is tied
in with the National Data Buoy Center’s weather station (SAUF1) at the end of the pier.
It is important to look at the data from the workhorses along with the atmospheric
weather data.
Figure 25: Workhorse 2.
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Workhorse 3 is positioned just outside of Port Canaveral. Data from the NOAA weather
station on Trident Pier (TRDF1) and the Scripps wave rider buoy (31113) is also
collected in the vicinity of this instrument.
Figure 26: Workhorse 3
Workhorse 4 is located offshore at Ft. Pierce. It is southwest of the Scripps wave rider
buoy (41114). Comparisons between these two instruments will be useful in
understanding wave transformation from deep water into the surf zone.
Figure27: Workhorse 4.
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Workhorse 5 is located offshore at the Lake Worth Pier. The cable from the gauge is tied
in with the NOAA weather station (LKWF1) which is normally at the end of the Lake
Worth Pier, but has temporarily been moved to the parking lot while repairs are made to
the pier.
Figure 28: Workhorse 5.
Workhorse 6 is positioned off of Virginia Key. It will collect data in the same area as the
NOAA weather station (VAKF1).
Figure29: Workhorse 6
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Workhorse 7 is placed off of Sand Key near the Sand Key Lighthouse. The instrument
cable runs into the weather station (SANF1) located on the lighthouse.
Figure30: Workhorse 7.
Vessel Water Quality Monitoring System
This system is based on the FerryMon (ferry monitoring) system developed by the North
Carolina DENR with UNC and Duke to study the Pamlico Sound using instruments
placed on ferries. The Vessel Water Quality Monitoring System for Florida will put the
same instrument package on ferries and large charter fishing boats around the state.
Water samples are pumped in through the hull every three minutes while the boat is in
operation. Sensors then test for surface water temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH,
turbidity, and fluorescence of chlorophyll a. This information along with the vessels
position are taken and sent via cell phone modem to where the data can be analyzed.
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Figure 31: How FerryMon works.
The plan is to equip seven vessels with this set up that will cover offshore and estuarine
waters from the east coast around to the panhandle. Five large fishing vessels based out
of Mayport, Ponce Inlet, Jupiter Inlet, Tarpon Springs, and Destin will be equipped along
with two ferries which travel between Miami, Key West, Marco Island, and Ft. Myers.
The cost for this system is $100,000 per vessel, which is rather affordable considering the
amount and range of data being collected.
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Figure 32: Vessel Water Quality Monitoring Routes and Fleet.
The information determined by this system is very important for water quality and fishery
habitat studies. With less time being spent collecting data, more time can be spent
researching what changes are taking place and how the ecosystem is responding and how
it might respond in the future. When occurrences such as red tides and the depletion of a
species of fish happen this data can be looked to for possible answers to improve human
and marine animal living conditions.
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Biological Monitoring
The Objectives of the Biological Analysis Stations were the following:





To determine the depth of the thermocline, halocline and pycnocline and their
change with respect to the seasons.
To study the Biodiversity of the Microorganisms along the coast of Florida and
their change with respect to the seasons.
To study the biology of the Gulf Stream and its change with respect to the
seasons.
To be able to detect and analyze harmful algae blooms.
To be able to detect and analyze dead zones.
Figure 33: Bio Station Layout
The bio station layout included moorings that were strategically placed to analyze
data from the coastal zones around Florida. Most of the stations were between 10 and 30
miles off the coast of Florida. The exceptions were bio stations 15 and 16. Bio station 15
was placed about 90 miles west of Sarasota. This was placed in order to obtain some data
of the biology in the Gulf of Mexico. Bio Station 16 was placed about 70 miles directly
east of Daytona Beach to obtain Gulf Steam Data at a point further north than the other
moorings in the path of the Gulf Stream. The instrument used to determine the depth of
the thermocline, halocline and pycnocline would be the CTD. The instrument used to
study the biodiversity of microorganisms would be the Spectrophotometer since it is able
to identify the material in a sample of water. This would also be the instrument used to
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identify the specimens of harmful algae, if they are present. The instrument employed to
detect a dead zone would be the dissolved oxygen meter.
The Biological Station Layout contains 16 stations all of which will have the same
instruments for measuring aspects of the biological habitat.
The following instruments will be included on the stations:
Spectrophotometer – The spectrophotometer used on the bio station layout will operate
by shining a source light through a sample and measuring the wavelengths that pass
through the material as a function of intensity. The instrument can thereby determine
which elements are present in the sample.
Figure 34: Spectrophotometer
Fluorometer – The fluorometer will measure the amount of fluorescence emitted by a
sample by exciting the sample with a specific wavelength of light and detecting the
wavelengths of light which are thereby emitted by the sample.
Figure 35: Fluorometer
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Chlorometer – A chlorometer measures the concentration of chlorine in a water
chemically by adding a substance called powder of lime to the sample and detecting how
much the substance has been bleached by the water sample.
Figure 36: Chlorometer
Dissolved Oxygen Meter – The Dissolved oxygen meter uses polarographic sensors and
applies an external voltage to measure the potential difference between the anode and the
cathode. This information is then used to determine the concentration of dissolved
oxygen.
Particle Size Distribution Analyzer – The particle size distribution analyzer uses acoustic
spectroscopy to determine the particle size distribution. The data collected from the
acoustic absorption and scatter created by the suspended material is used to determine the
concentration of each particle size.
CTD – The CTD measures the conductivity, temperature and depth of the water at a
certain level of the water column and uses this data to determine the salinity of the water.
Also it will be able to determine the depth of the thermocline, halocline, and pycnocline.
Figure 37: CTD
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Budget
The LOCOS project that is being proposed by our organization is of great significance
and extremely necessary to the continued maintenance and sustainability of the natural
environment in and around the State of Florida and the United States on a whole. Hence
the proposed budget for this project should be seen as an investment in the future of the
Florida’s pristine environment. There are several instrumentation cost and operational
cost that are very necessary for optimum operation of the program.
The cost analysis which is done below shows a breakdown of the estimated budget for
material, instrumentation and communication cost for the machinery to the data
processing sites. The Professional Consulting fees and personnel needed to run this
project has not been factored into the cost and as a result those figures are not reflected in
the cost analysis presented below.
There are many benefits that can be attained from the implementation of this project and
the data which is being collected can be utilized by many different organizations such as
NOAA and the Department of the interior who themselves conduct many environmental
assessments to ensure the preservation of the natural environment within the United
States and its surrounding areas.
On an even broader note the EA (Environment Assessment) which will be conducted of
Governmental or commercial purposes will have a greater resource data base to gain
results because this information would have been continuously recorded by the
monitoring of Florida’s environment.
The Preliminary research that was conducted for the project’s instrumentation was
estimated to be $6,092,822.00 USD. This figure may seem to be large but as mentioned
before the most state of the art, sophisticated and cutting edge technology is going to be
used to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the data collected. The greatest costs of the
project are the Buoy and mooring systems which are going to be utilized. Real time
monitoring is going to be use for key aspects of the project and as a result satellite
communication airtime is being purchased to ensure the fastest relay of data to the
research and data processing sites. This service cost an estimated $54,000.00 a day. A
complete breakdown of the budget is presented below which will given an accurate
description of the expected expenditure of the project.
Also for consideration in the cost analysis for the project the purchase of a research
vessel which cost approximately $2,000,000 USD. The professional consulting fees and
personnel cost also needs to be considered for the project and an operational/salary
budget of $5,000,000 USD for the two year period is being proposed. This will take the
total cost of the project to be estimated at $13,092,822.00 USD for a two year period.
- 31 -
Next Generation ATLAS buoy instrument prices
Item
Cost
No. Total
Measurement
Price
Wind Speed
876.00
1 $
Wind direction
180.00
1 $
Air Temp
745.00
1 $
Relative humidity
895.00
1 $
Rainfall
440.00
1 $
shortwave radiation
260.00
1 $
longwave radiation
6,600.00
1 $
barometric pressure
4,950.00
1 $
sea subsurface/surface temp
1,050.00
1 $
sea subsurface/surface temp
2,860.00
1 $
salinity
SBE16
8,770.00
1 $
salinty
SBE37
5,860.00
1 $
water pressure
4,000.00
1 $
ocean current profile
1 $ 25,000.00
ocean current single point
1 $ 20,000.00
Total
$ 82,486.00
Mooring Price=15000-total=
1 $ 67,514.00
Figure 39: Next Generation ATLAS BOUY & Instrumentation cost
- 32 -
DAILY OPERATIONAL COST
Item
Cost
Drifter Cost Per
Day
Communication Cost per Day of Iridium
Hurricane
Cellular/Satellite an Hour
Weather
Cellular/Satellite an Hour
Drifters
Cellular/Satellite an Hour
Bio Station
Cellular/Satellite an Hour
Workhorse Station
Cellular/Satellite an Hour
No. Total
$3,500.00
16
$56,000.00
$1
$1
$1
$1
$1
24
24
2
24
28
$24.00
$24.00
$2
$24.00
$28
Daily Total
Expendable Buoy cost per storm day
Offshore storm day
$3,000.00
Nearshore Storm day
$3,000.00
Daily Total
Figure 40: LOCOS communication cost
- 33 -
$56,102.00
6
12
$18,000.00
$36,000
$54,000.00
Item
Hurricane Buoy and
Station
Expendable buoys
Biological Science
Station
Weather Station
Drifters
Seismic
Near shore
vessel water quality
Total
COOS Cost
Cost
No.
Total
Hurricane Buoys
See Below
$ 150,000.00
$
3,000.00
17
$
$
2,550,000.00
spectrometer
Palintest Chlorometer
UW Spectrophotometer
CTD
Underwater Fluorometer
Bioluminescence Detector
Wind Instrument
Rain Gauge
Barometric Pressure Senor
Temperature and Humidity
Sensor
Mooring
See Below
Sea bottom seismometer
Workhorse array
workhorse wave gauge
data/power cable
mounting pods
Entire Ship set up
$
2,199.00
$
355.00
$
2,099.00
$
959.00
$ 29,590.00
N/A
$
850.00
$
800.00
$
660.00
16
16
16
16
16
$
$
$
$
$
35,184.00
5,680.00
33,584.00
15,344.00
473,440.00
17
17
17
$
$
$
14,450.00
13,600.00
11,220.00
$
760.00
$ 68,000.00
$
3,500.00
$ 45,000.00
$ 21,600.00
$ 21,600.00
600 for 5m
$
2,000.00
$ 100,000.00
17
17
0
3
7
7
6,000m
7
6
$
$
$
$
$
12,920.00
1,156,000.00
-
135,000.00
151,200.00
151,200
720,000
14,000
$
600,000.00
$ 6,092,822.00
Figure 41: Total LOCOS instrumentation Cost
Conclusions
It has been determined that the instruments and monitoring system currently in place are
not enough to adequately monitor the oceans surrounding Florida. While the ones in
place do monitor most of the aspects we need to observe, they are far too few in number
and poorly placed to monitor the entire coast of Florida. The data obtained through these
newly deployed systems would be revolutionary from a scientific standpoint as well as
being vital to the livelihood of Florida’s population. With these improvements in place,
including monitoring in the areas of hurricane heat potential, seismic activity,
meteorological and oceanographic conditions, coastal processes, Biological Activity, and
water quality the monitoring system will be greatly improved. This integrated system of
moorings and deployed instruments is key to the safety of Florida, its economic Future,
and the preservation of its environment.
- 34 -
-
References
Bureau of Meteorology – The Aneroid Barometer (2008). Retrieved from
http://www.bom.gov.au/info/aneroid/aneroid.shtml
Chlorometer (2008). Retrieved from http://www.websterdictionary.net/definition/chlorometer
Dissolved Oxygen Meter (2007). Retrieved from http://www.buzzle.com/articles/what-isa-dissolved-oxygen-meter.html
FerryMon (2008). Retrieved from
http://www.unc.edu/ims/paerllab/research/ferrymon/how.htm
Flotation Technologies Trawl Resistant Bottom Mounts. Retrieved from
http://www.flotec.com/flo12.html
GCOOS: Past Meeting Reports (2007). Retrieved from
http://ocean.tamu.edu/GCOOS/RA/vision.htm
Hygrometers – Hair Hygrometers – Weather Instruments (2008). Retrieved from
http://weather.about.com/od/weatherinstruments/a/hygrometers.htm
In-Situ Ultraviolet Spectrometer – ISUS (2007) Retrieved from
http://www.mbari.org/twenty/isus.htm
National Data Buoy Center (2008). Retrieved from
http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/maps/Florida.shtml
NDBC TAO: Sensors (2007) Retrieved from
http://tao.noaa.gov/proj_overview/sensors_ndbc.shtml
SouthEast U.S. Atlantic Coastal Ocean Observing System – SEACOOS (2007).
Retrieved from http://www.seacoos.org/
Teledyne RDI’s Workhorse Waves Array (2008). Retrieved from
http://www.rdinstruments.com/waves.html
The Integrated U.S. Ocean Observing System (2007). Retrieved from
http://ioos.noaa.gov/about/basics.html
The National Office for Integrated and Sustained Ocean Observations (2006). Retrieved
from http://www.ocean.us/home
Thermister – Hutchinson encyclopedia (2008). Retrieved from
http://encyclopedia.farlex.com/Thermister
- 35 -
Underwater Fluorometer DIVING-PAM (2007) Retrieved from
http://www.imcorp.co.kr/ytboard/shop/item_view.php?item_no=117&class_no=35
Wind Vane (2001). Retrieved from
http://www.windpower.org/en/kids/choose/nacelle/direct.htm
- 36 -