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VIMS Uses Acrobat Towed Vehicle for Monitoring Dissolved Oxygen
Excessive amounts of nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) from point and nonpoint sources can fuel algal blooms in estuaries and coastal waters. Excess algal growth can lead to low oxygen concentrations (anoxia and hypoxia) that are detrimental to living resources. Effective management of this condition requires an understanding of spatial and temporal extent of oxygen depleted waters. In the spring of 2007, VIMS was awarded a contract by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality (VADEQ) to conduct enhanced monitoring and assessment of dissolved oxygen (DO) in the York and Rappahannock Rivers. The data will be used to assess attainment of DO criteria in open water, deep water and deep channel designated uses as established by the EPA/Chesapeake Bay Program. Essential to the task is the Acrobat towed instrument equipped with a short response time (200 msec) oxygen electrode (AMT Analysenmesstechnik GmbH). Combining the undulating flight path capability of the Acrobat with a sawtooth cruise track allows for detailed 3-D mapping of oxygen distributions. This approach enables scientists at VIMS to measure oxygen distributions under the dynamic and highly variable spa-
ACROBAT/Rosette being deployed by VIMS scientists during a monitoring practice cruise. (Photo Credit: Jason Adamo, VIMS)
18 MTR
October 2007
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