Real-time hydrographie and meteorological monitoring in Mobile Bay for research and education

The value of coastal observing systems is recognized by the U.S. Congress, the National Ocean Partnership Program, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration. Recent reports by the Pew Oceans Commission and U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy have decried the lack of information from near coastal waters on which to base management decisions and recommended monitoring programs linked to strong research. Reasons for continuous, real-time observations of meteorological and hydrographie parameters include (1) continuous characterization of spatial and temporal patterns of change in water quality, (2) development of a permanent record of significant and human caused changes in environmental indicators over time and (3) support for research activities through the availability of consistent, scientifically valid data. An additional benefit of realtime observation is the potential for the public to track and learn about water quality conditions. Many coastal dwellers are uninformed about conditions in nearby estuaries because they do not have access to current information about parameters such as water temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen levels and water level and they may fail to appreciate the complexity of interactions in estuarine ecosystems. Dauphin Island Sea Lab and the Mobile Bay National Estuary Program have partnered with the University of South Alabama, local National Estuarine Research Reserves, the Alabama Department of Conservation State Land Division Coastal Program and the Alabama Lighthouse Association to provide real-time data on wind speed, wind direction, air temperature, barometric pressure, photosynthetically active radiation, precipitation, water temperature, dissolved oxygen, water height, and salinity at sites located throughout Mobile Bay. Up to the minute data are available in a user-friendly format at www.mymobilebay.com. Graphs of each parameter may be displayed and informative pop-up windows descr- ibe each parameter when selected by the viewer. Researchers may download the data in a spreadsheet format for further analysis.