A portable data acquisition for Lagrangian investigations of plankton distributions

In an effect to estimate egg mortality of striped bass, a parcel of water in the principal spawning area of the Pamunkey River, Virginia, was tagged with a fluorescent dye and followed for two consecutive days. Distributions of egg quantities were obtained in the areas of greatest dye concentrations. A portable shipboard-based data acquisition system consisting of a portable computer, multichannel A/D converter, fluorometer, and miniranging navigational system was implemented to accomplish this task. This system provides real-time capability for locating peak dye concentration and accurate position, as well as a permanent data archive, providing an accurate means for determining the mortality of the eggs