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	Open Ocean Aquaculture (OOA) Environmental Monitoring Project I Jeffreys Ledge Benthic Studies

Open Ocean Aquaculture (OOA) Environmental Monitoring Project

Overview

As the demand for additional sources of protein grows, fish farming in our oceans is becoming more critical. Consequently, the University of New Hampshire has created a major program in open ocean aquaculture (http://ooa.unh.edu). Since 1997, members of Coastal Geology have participated in the UNH OOA program, monitoring water quality and benthic habitats in order to assess any potential environmental impacts of the project.

Location of the Open Ocean Aquaculture Project

Water Quality: Water quality characteristics of the water column are monitored monthly from May to October to determine if any changes or impacts are attributable to the aquaculture activities. The monitoring stations are located adjacent to an environmental monitoring buoy (to help with calibration of instruments) and updrift and downdrift of the grid anchoring the fish pens. Water quality parameters being measured include total suspended sediments, the particulate organic content of the water sample (via LOI), and chlorophyll concentration. These measurements are made at 3 depths (surface, 22m, and near bottom (46-50m)). Dissolved oxygen is measured using two methods during the monthly cruises; in situ between the surface and ~25 m with an YSI 85 Dissolved Oxygen sensor and by Winkler modified titrations of water samples collected at the 3 depths mentioned above. Vertical profiles of temperature, salinity, light transmission, fluorescence and PAR are collected with a Seabird SBE-25 CTD with integrated sensors.

Deployment of Niskin
water bottles



Collecting water samples for TSS, LOI and chlorophyll analysis

BOD bottles used for collecting water samples for dissolved oxygen analysis


	Currently, the CTD profiles and water quality data are available at http://www.unh.edu/ooa/OOA-Monitor/Data/Datapage.htm under Open Ocean Aquaculture Environmental Monitoring Cruise Archived Data.

Example of CTD Data (from
October 31, 2005
water quality monitoring)

Water column profiling using a YSI-85 sensor (dissolved oxygen, meter temperature and salinity)

Water column profiling
using a YSI-85 sensor
(dissolved oxygen,
temperature and salinity)


	Benthic Habitats Monitoring: We are monitoring, along with the JEL Seafloor Ecology Group, the benthic environments at the OOA site. Sediment samples are collected at 20 permanent stations in the spring and fall of each year and are analyzed for grain size and organic content. Seafloor video is also collected at the 20 permanent monitoring stations in order to determine if any changes in the epifauna or bottom habitats have occurred. The video camera system (referred to as the Hubbard Camera) is composed of a video camera mounted on a frame with synchronized strobe lights and an integrated positioning system (GPS). Data recording and power supply is located onboard the research vessel. During each cruise the camera is suspended near the bottom (within 50 cm) and 6 to 10 minutes of downward looking video is taken at each monitoring station.

Video camera system

Mud bottom with American sand lance taken on the June 9, 2005 video monitoring cruise

Mud bottom with flounder taken on the June 9, 2005 video monitoring cruise

Video Transects

Northern Cerianthid Density from June 9, 2005 Video Monitoring Cruise

Northern Cerianthid Density from November 28, 2005 Video Monitoring Cruise


	(top) To learn more about the OOA project, please visit http://ooa.unh.edu

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