Development of Lagrangian Measurement Techniques for Coastal Water Management
Collaborators
- Henry Sharpe III, President, Bluewater Designworks, LLC
- Chris Roman, PhD, University of Rhode Island
- Chris Kincaid, PhD, University of Rhode Island
- Thomas P. Uva, Director of Planning, Policy and Regulation, Narragansett Bay Commission
Summary
Understanding the circulation of coastal waters is an important component to ecosystem management. But tracking and monitoring water circulation through a coastal system has proved difficult, due to changes in coastal terrain and variations in water properties. The collaboration between Bluewater Design, LLC, the University of Rhode Island and the Narragansett Bay Commission has designed a variable buoyancy float device that can monitor in difficult testing areas, such as the coastal region.
This STAC grant will be used to build on technology already created by this team, adding GPS tracking, environmental sensors and improved features to make the system commercially viable.
The enhanced prototype will be tested for its ability to address coastal management questions and meet the needs of potential customers. Device applications include tracking red-tide and algae blooms, pollutants, and fish kills. It is expected to attract large interest from water-quality consultants, advocacy groups, and environmental management and stewardship agencies.
