Application of collected data
Presentations at the DBCP Technical Workshop
Buenos Aires, Argentina, 17-18 October 2005

Theme 3: Vision and Possibilities / Technological Developments

19. Telemetry Solutions for Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler Measurements of Waves & Currents

Authors: Neil Trenaman1, Rick Cole2, Robert Weisberg2, Kevin Amundsen3

Abstract: Real-time Ocean Observation systems are becoming an expected and required component of coastal and oceanographic science and engineering endeavors. The use of moored buoys has for many years provided a reliable and durable platform for conducting oceanographic and atmospheric measurements. There is an ever increasing the demand for more intensive data collection and an expanding suite of parameters to be measured. Evolving technical solutions are required to meet the demands.

This paper evaluates the success in collecting wave measurements with a bottom mounted RD Instruments (RDI) acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP™) with Waves Technology, and NEMO, RDI’s new Real Time Waves Processing Module, designed specifically for RDI Waves users condensing currents and waves data at the ADCP for transmission to the surface, and then sending these data via acoustic modems (wireless, Benthos, Inc.) through the water column to the surface.

Results from recent field testing at the University of South Florida’s (USF) College of Marine Science (CMS), Ocean Circulation Group (OCG), who maintain a real-time monitoring program in the eastern Gulf of Mexico called the Coastal Ocean Monitoring and Prediction System (COMPS), an array of surface and bottom mounted buoys and moorings offshore spanning the west Florida shelf (WFS) from the panhandle to the Dry Tortugas. The site, components, data collection, and comparison between recorded data vs. transmitted data will be discussed and summarized.

We conclude that this is a viable yet not trivial means of data collection and telemetry for ocean buoy platforms.