Optimization of environmental monitoring instrumentation

The need for comprehensive studies to evaluate the current environmental status and make environmental impact estimations is constantly increasing. Inherent in these activities is the measurement of a multitude of physical, chemical and biological parameters, Many programs now require the determination of spatial distribution and temporal variation of many key parameters in the open ocean, estuaries, rivers, lakes and harbors. Due to increasing costs and limitations of human and financial resources to carry out these environmental measurement programs it became clear that instrumentation systems must be optimized to produce the maximum amount of useful data at the lowest cost. To meet the need for more efficient data acquisition equipment a system has been developed to continuously pump large volumes of water from accurately known depth and deliver the water to sample containers or analysis equipment located on the survey vessel. An in-situ instrumentation package is attached to the submersible pump to provide for continuous measurement of Conductivity, Salinity, Temperature, Dissolved Oxygen, pH, Turbidity, Redox and Depth. Real time data display permits operational decisions to be made on board the survey vessel with respect to profiling depths, special analysis and the collection of special samples. All data are recorded on digital magnetic tape for subsequent data processing.