Real-time ocean water quality monitoring for the south shore of Oahu

A real-time ocean monitoring system is used to assess oceanographic conditions and identify critical periods where changes in nearshore water quality may occur. The capacity for real-time ocean data collection from an array of in situ sensors enables rapid integration and synthesis into data products that can aid government agencies in timely decision-making in response to changing ocean conditions. Here we describe the infrastructure and data synthesis for a monitoring system at the Kilo Nalu Observatory on the south shore of Oahu, ideally situated relative to various potential sources for diminished water quality. Data products are presented that summarize ocean conditions over relevant time scales. These include particle-tracking algorithms that describe the integrated effects of currents at various depths, with anomalies in water properties flagged and tracked over time. The local coastal ocean environment is described over the time period of the project.