Water Sampling
DISCOVERY Yacht Acacia Rose
December 2016
On December 13, SeaKeepers participated in its final support trip in 2016 for Biscayne Bay Water Watch (BBWW) aboard D/Y Acacia Rose. The initiative is a citizen-science based volunteer water quality monitoring program developed and managed by the UF/IFAS (University of Florida | Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences) Sea Grant Extension Program in Miami-Dade County. Local volunteers agree to collect water samples at one or more assigned locations in Biscayne Bay on a monthly schedule using personal vessels. Participants are trained one-on-one by the local Water Resources Regional Specialized Agent to collect and analyze the samples using a standardized protocol and equipment provided through the initiative.
BBWW was created to promote awareness about water quality and to help monitor local environmental issues. Participants provide data concerning water temperature, pH, salinity, and dissolved oxygen while further analyses document levels of total nitrogen, total phosphorus, ammonia, silica, and chlorophyll a. The monthly data collection helps to track harmful algal blooms, changes in water quality, and provides a metric for assessing the health of Biscayne Bay. Other program partners include Key Biscayne Yacht Club, Key Biscayne Community Foundation, South Dade Anglers Club, Coast Guard Auxiliary, and numerous individuals within the community. SeaKeepers has been participating since 2015 and will continue to support the efforts in Biscayne Bay in the New Year.
The collected data can be found HERE.
A map showing the complete list of sample sites in Biscayne Bay and their associated data can be found HERE.
Partner Sites:
Biscayne Bay Water Watch
Miami Dade Sea Grant
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