Project Title: Assessment and Monitoring of Estuarine Habitat Diversity
Principal Investigator(s): Daniel R. Hanes

Accomplishments
Scheduled Tasks:

1. Water Quality Survey Controller (WQSC) System Architecture Design
2. Custom microprocessor motherboard hardware design
3. Serial communications interface hardware design
4. Rugged / waterproof enclosure design
5. Prototype PCB (printed circuit board) layout & fabrication for 2 and 3 above.
6. Waterproof enclosure machining
7. PCB population and initial hardware checkout
8. Custom GPS and depth sensor procurement
9. Linux software implementation on WQSC hardware.
10. Serial, LCD and pushbutton Linux device driver software development
11. Application software development
12. Initial field trials

Progress on Tasks

• Tasks 1 through 9 have been completed.
• Tasks 10 and 11 are in process and are expected to be completed to the beta stage by 30 Aug.
• Task 12 has not been started.

Difficulties Encountered
Some third party software tools have been faulty and have required vendor action (completed). PCB vendor mis-sequenced PCB layers (corrected). Minor electrical design deficiencies have been discovered (corrected).

Anticipated Success in Meeting Project Objectives in Scheduled Project Period
The robability of meeting all project objectives within approved project period remains very high.

Preliminary Results
No preliminary field data is available at this time.

Tasks and activities for next reporting period

Tasks for the next reporting period

• Complete device driver programming
• Complete application software development for field trials
• Conduct field trials
• Implement design / software modifications resulting from field trial feedback
• Fabricate and deliver three systems for NERR incorporating design imrovements

Work plan to accomplish tasks

• Three engineers currently assigned to programming effort
• Field trials to be scheduled with participating reserves upon completion of software development.
• Engineering modifications will be implemented in parallel with field trials as problems / enhancements are identified.
• Final material procurement and fabrication to commence prior to completion of field trials but subsequent to modification design freeze.

Concerns or difficulties
Completion date for software development remains difficult to assess and therefore delay scheduling of reserve personnel for field trials.

Expenditures
(Note: Each institution's grants office responsible for submitting financial reports, so all you need to do in this section is to state whether or not expenditures were in the range anticipated for the work accomplished to date)

Expenditures have commensurate with project progress to date.