A comprehensive survey of Hawaiʻi’s nearshore ocean water quality has just been completed by a team of researchers from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa.
Using a fleet of autonomous sailboat-like vehicles known as Saildrone Explorers equipped with sensors, researchers were able to survey more than 20,000 nautical miles of Hawaiian waters.
They surveyed the main Hawaiian islands from April to November and measured temperature, salinity, acidity and other indicators of both water and air quality.
“We’re also collecting carbon dioxide in air and in the water, and that tells us a little bit about how the carbon dioxide from our atmosphere is interacting with our waters here in Hawaiʻi,” said Amy Markel, a graduate oceanography student at UH Mānoa working on the project, in a statement.
Researchers will now analyze the data collected by the explorers.
“These data will allow us to make informed decisions on how best to manage our resources, rather than relying on imperfect models or outdated notions that the natural environment is in a steady state," said Christopher Sabine, UH Mānoa interim vice provost for research and scholarship and principal investigator for the project, in a statement.
The findings could give local leaders and policymakers insights into the water chemistry of the ocean and its patterns, and possibly the effects of climate change around Hawaiʻi’s coasts.
