CICEET Progress Report for the period 3/15/04 through 9/15/04

Project Title: In-situ monitoring of a reactive trace metal in riverine and estuarine mixing zones
Principal Investigator(s): Robert H. Byrne, Michael R. Callahan, and Eric T. Steimle

Accomplishments
Scheduled Tasks:
The major objective for the current reporting period was to include time series deployments of our SEAS-Cu sensor in Rookery Bay, FL. Additional proposed project tasks were to include preliminary development of SEAS telemetric capabilities and assessment of reagent stability.

Progress on Tasks
On June 2nd through June 4th, 2004 deployments of the SEAS-Cu sensor were conducted in Rookery Bay, FL. Challenges encountered during the Rookery Bay deployment prompted the research and development of telemetric capabilities for the SEAS analysis. During the month of July a SEAS telemetric system was developed and tested in the laboratory.

Difficulties Encountered
A significant challenge noted during operation of SEAS-Cu system in Rookery Bay, FL was the lack of prompt feedback of the real-time data saved to SEAS on-board memory. Prompt data feedback allows users to make informed decisions regarding the location, pattern and timing of data to be collected. Real-time data feedback also allows for rapid troubleshooting of the instrument in the field affording users an opportunity to correct and/or abort a mission prior to a long-term deployment cycle.

Anticipated Success in Meeting Project Objectives in Scheduled Project Period
All project objectives will be completed by the revised project end date (Aug. 30, 2004).

Preliminary Data
Prior to deployment of the SEAS system in Rookery Bay an initial assessment of reagent stability was determined by constructing a series of calibration lines made over a 9-day period. (Figure 1) The data shows that there is no loss in instrument or reagent stability over the course of the 9-day period. The data also shows that the error around each check standard is within the 99% confidence interval of the original calibration line.

Figure 2 shows the location of the four sampling sites selected for SEAS-Cu deployment in the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Sites included (1) Goodland Field Station operated by Rookery Bay NERR, (2) the N. Collier Road bypass on Smokehouse Bay, (3) Faka Union Canal Weir (north side) and (4) the marina at Port of the Islands. Sites 1 and 2 were selected to represent what was believed to be tidally-mixed pristine site (Goodland) and a tidally-restricted canal site (N. Collier Bypass). Sites 3 and 4 are located at the head of the Faka Union Canal. The two sites were representative of moderate development along the canal system which drains into an otherwise highly-pristine portion of Faka Union Bay (part the 10,000 Islands system in Rookery Bay proper).

Table 1 lists SEAS-Cu deployment locations in Rookery Bay, dates, length of deployment, quality of the data and description of the problems encountered during the deployment cycles. For all recovered data sets copper estimates appeared to be at or below the detection limits of the current SEAS-Cu instrument configuration. Only a limited number of quality data points were recovered from each of the deployment cycles. The main issue effecting data quality were bubble problems that could have been addressed at the beginning of each deployment cycle had real-time data feedback been available.

The challenge associated with recovering quality data during remote testing of the SEAS analysis system underscored the need for real-time communication with the instrument. The approach taken to proved real-time feedback of SEAS data was to retrofit SEAS with a telemetry system. Adding telemetry capabilities to SEAS allows users to monitor the instrument’s performance, take abortive or corrective action during the deployment cycle and to remotely control the pattern and timing of sampling. A preliminary SEAS telemetry system has been configured and tested in the laboratory. The current SEAS telemetry system was shown to successfully provide remote control and operation of SEAS and provided real-time streaming of data via a Hyperterminal session. The system is currently being integrated into the USF College of Marine Science (CMS) network. Figure 3 shows a conceptual schematic of the intended SEAS telemetry system.

Tasks and activities for the next reporting period

Tasks for the next reporting period
The final task for the next reporting period will be completion of the final report due Nov. 30, 2004.

Work plan to accomplish tasks
Complete final report.

Concerns or difficulties
There are no current concerns or difficulties in our proposed work.

Expenditures
Expenditures were in the range anticipated for the work completed to date.