CHASM has been working with the Environment Agency to measure water quality parameters in Bracklesham Bay, West Sussex so we can look at some of the environmental factors that might be affecting crabs and lobsters in the area. Recently they deployed a real-time water quality monitor on the West Pole Beacon just outside the entrance to Chichester Harbour. The reason for monitoring is to help determine factors affecting crabs, lobsters and other marine life in the area.<\/p>\n
The data collection unit is a sonde linked to a telemetry unit that beams our data out to space and returns it to the EA National Data Monitoring unit in Reading.\u00a0 The data gathered will enable us to monitor temperature, conductivity, turbidity, dissolved oxygen and chlorophyll every 15 minutes. The site is a meeting point for a number of water bodies, including Chichester Harbour, Bracklesham Bay, and the Solent. It will be exciting to see what the data shows!<\/p>\n
Many thanks to the Environment Agency National Data Monitoring Unit for agreeing to use the site as feasiblity study; to the Sussex Kelp Restoration Project whose funding made this possible, and to Chichester Harbour Conservancy for doing the hard work of getting the unit installed!<\/p>\n
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Watch the data as it is gathered using the following hyperlink:<\/p>\n