In-situ Measuring Systems

The quality of water in near shore marine waters is dependent on a number of factors, the transport of substances from rivers, the mixing through process and the chemical-biological processes. Very little is actually known about the distribution of nutrients in the North Sea and the role they play in the different growth stages of algae. Therefore one of our tasks has been to develop and qualify new automated measuring systems and sensors for buoys, piles and "Ships of Opportunity".

One successful application has been within the EU Project "FerryBox" which was coordinated by HZG. This project entailed fitting ships on different European ferry routes with sensors which then recorded the water quality automatically during the trip. The sensor systems, which we developed, measure parameters such as temperature, salinity, turbidity, oxygen, nutrients and algae. Such systems are already used for operational observations of water quality in different regions of the world. They deliver data continuously in a very cost-effective way. The systems are an integral part of the new observation system "COSYNA" (=Coastal Observing System for Northern and Arctic Seas).

Another focus is the application of the recorded data for mathematical descriptions of processes, such as the estimation of seasonal algae dynamics or the assessment of trends. In addition to In-situ measurments satellite data are used. By these methods it is possible to observe and assess the distribution of nutrients and algal blooms.