SeaKeepers Monitoring: Contributing Highly Accurate Data on 10* Critical Parameters

Oceanographic Data
In the past, virtually every piece of oceanographic data was collected by research vessels. The resulting scarcity of data from the sea explains why even as little as four years ago, scientists were unaware of major changes taking place in the ocean’s basic chemistry. The mission of SeaKeepers is to provide scientists with inexpensive, reliable, accurate, and automatically-functioning equipment to greatly expand our understanding of the changes now underway due to a host of human and natural phenomenon. Just 20 SeaKeeper equipped vessels can cover more than 5,000 nautical miles of the ocean’s surface each day, providing more than 300,000 discrete oceanographic/meteorological measurements.

Salinity
Many marine organisms require a specific range of salinity in order to thrive and survive. Changes in salinity along with temperature can increase or decrease the density of water at the surface, thus effecting ocean circulation and subsequently climate. Monitoring changes in salinity can be used to improve prediction of El Niño events, track changes in surface currents, locate sources of upwelling of deep water to the surface, and many other important physical oceanographic processes. This measurement can be especially critical in areas affected by melting glaciers and sea ice.

Sea Surface Temperature
Since most of the increasing atmospheric heat is stored in the ocean, tracking long-term trends in sea surface temperature is a key aspect of monitoring and validating climate change. While satellites can rapidly scan temperatures globally, it is essential to have actual precise physical measurements to validate or “ground truth” the satellite measurements and to fill-in data when cloud cover or local rainfall make satellite measurements impossible. SeaKeeper 1000™ measurements typically are made 1-2 meters below the actual sea surface, where water temperature is more stable than the actual surface, which is measured by satellites. Many organisms use temperature as a signal for their behavior, reproduction, migration, etc. Temperature also influences how pollutants and toxic materials affect organisms. Temperature can tell us about ocean circulation and mixing. Changes in sea surface temperature can be used to predict the potential for El Niño and La Niña events. Sea surface temperature is also a very important parameter that assists forecasters in predicting hurricane intensification.

Dissolved Oxygen
Dissolved oxygen analysis measures the amount of gaseous oxygen dissolved in sea water. Oxygen gets into sea water by direct diffusion from the atmosphere, by aeration (wind and wave action), and photosynthesis. Dissolved oxygen is one of the best indicators of water quality and tells us about levels of photosynthesis and the nature of the air-sea exchange. Like terrestrial animals, fish and other aquatic organisms need oxygen to live. Water with low dissolved oxygen cannot support healthy communities of plant and animal life. Accurate data for the concentration of dissolved oxygen in surface waters is essential for documenting environmental changes in water resources resulting from natural phenomena and human activities.

pH
pH is the measure of the acidity or alkalinity. Until recently marine pH was not of great interest to scientists, as it was thought to be extremely stable in the ocean. Commencing in 2004, however, the scientific community became aware that the oceans’ chemistry was changing due to the increasingly high quantities of carbon dioxide being absorbed from the atmosphere. When carbon dioxide enters sea water, it forms carbonic acid which turns the ocean more acidic. Precise measurements of pH are now considered very important, as there are already indications that minute changes in acidity can affect the ability of corals, seashells, marine inverterbrates and zooplankton to reproduce or simply survive. This is considered one of the most serious changes faced by the oceans from emissions and global warming. The SeaKeeper 1000™ system is one of the few networks currently measuring pH from large areas across the sea.

eH
eH is a measurement of redox, or the potential of sea water to oidate materials in suspension. Redox reactions play an important role in geochemical procsses and are a very important indicator not only of a system's capacity for cycling waste, but also of checmically supporting fish, plant, and invertebrate lfe.

Meteorological & Climatologic Data
More than 70 percent of the world’s surface is ocean. The oceans are by far the largest source of trapped heat and energy on the planet. Because of their physical size and their role as the planet’s major heat source, the world’s ocean is the major determinant in forecasting both short-term and long-term weather patterns. Unlike the land, where there are many accurate weather data-collection stations, the sea has very few observing stations. Much of existing weather data comes from satellite imagery, whose accuracy is often quite limited. SeaKeepers-equipped vessels now constitute a major source of highly-accurate measurements from the sea.

Wind Speed and Wind Direction
More than 70 percent of the world’s surface is ocean. The oceans are by far the largest source of trapped heat and energy on the planet. Because of their physical size and their role as the planet’s major heat source, the world’s ocean is the major determinant in forecasting both short-term and long-term weather patterns. Unlike the land, where there are many accurate weather data-collection stations, the sea has very few observing stations. Much of existing weather data comes from satellite imagery, whose accuracy is often quite limited. SeaKeepers-equipped vessels now constitute a major source of highly-accurate measurements from the sea.

Relative Humidity
Relative humidity is a measure of the amount of water in the air compared with the amount of water the air can hold at the temperature it happens to be when you measure it. It is a leading climatic measurement. Atmospheric moisture forms clouds, which affects climate and weather. Humidity is one of the significant environmental factors that influence the development and intensification of hurricanes.

Barometric Pressure
Barometric pressure is the pressure at any given point in the Earth's atmosphere; low pressure areas have less atmospheric mass above their location, whereas high pressure areas have more atmospheric mass above their location. The changes in air pressure cause air to move, resulting in winds, which influence weather and ocean circulation. This is a critical aspect of weather “forcing” that is shown on all local weather forecasts, and is key element to improving ocean weather prediction models.

Air Temperature
Air temperature is the measure of the heat content of the air. Water vapor is one of the energy sources for thunderstorms, hurricanes, etc., and the maximum amount of vapor that can be in the air depends on its temperature. The temperature of our atmosphere is controlled by a complex set of interactions between the ocean and the various levels of the atmosphere. Accurate air temperature measurements are critical to better weather forecasting and improved climate prediction models.

* Some systems vary in the number of parameters taken, but the typical sensor package measures 10 parameters. The SK1000 system is modular and as new sensors are developed the system's capacity will increase as well. Some examples of parameters also tested are Chlorophyll and CDOM (Colored Dissolved Organic Matter.)

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