In-Situ Completes Solution for Continuous Water Quality Monitoring with Rugged Buoy

In recent years, In-Situ has focused heavily on building a suite of products designed to work together to simplify continuous monitoring and remote data collection—from the seven-port Aqua TROLL 700 and 800 Multiparameter Sondes, ideal for users who need data on more parameters, to VuLink telemetry, which easily connects to instrumentation for data transmission from almost anywhere, to our most recent addition: the Rugged Buoy, a floating deployment platform for use in open water. Monitoring buoys aren’t new, but if you’re monitoring drinking water sources, harmful algal blooms, dredging projects and the like, the Rugged Buoy, in combination with reliable instrumentation, will make it easier to single-handedly deploy and maintain your equipment, collect data remotely and access it in real time.

For example, the Hog Island Oyster Company in Marshall, California, needed to monitor water quality in two locations at their farm to catch agricultural runoff that could affect their oysters. They set up each Rugged Buoy with an Aqua TROLL 500 and a VuLink cellular telemetry device to detect elevated levels of pollution and then transmit that data to the cloud where they can access it in the HydroVu data services platform. The stations can even send alarms if a particular parameter, such as fluorescent dissolved organic matter (fDOM), gets above a certain level. The data coming from the buoy deployments help Hog Island operators make decisions in real time to maintain both the health of their oyster reefs and their profitability.

A deployment station greater than the sum of its parts

Data buoys are useful for collecting and transmitting water quality information needed to make critical decisions on a broad range of applications, such as keeping drinking water safe for communities or ensuring a bridge construction project doesn’t harm nearby ecosystems. However, the prospect of sourcing, purchasing, using and maintaining a data buoy can be intimidating. There are plenty of buoys on the market with different capabilities. But they’re often very expensive, large and difficult to transport. And once they’re finally in the water, it can be a challenge to get the various instruments “talking” to each other and the user on the other end. Then, of course, maintenance can present many challenges as well. Even seasoned buoy managers can face myriad difficulties with data buoys. By taking time to understand those challenges, In-Situ has designed a solution to solve them, with a focus on usability and cost.

Telemetry-ready platform eases data transmission

First, the Rugged Buoy is designed to take advantage of the unique capabilities of VuLink cellular telemetry and the Aqua TROLL water quality platform. VuLink is self-powered, so there’s no need for solar panels and large 12-volt batteries. It communicates data collected by the Aqua TROLL directly to our HydroVu cloud-hosted database using global cellular networks. And setup out of the box is a breeze; VuLink automatically recognizes the Aqua TROLL once it’s connected, and VuSitu, our intuitive app shared by all the instruments in our water quality portfolio, walks you through each step to fully configure your sonde and telemetry. You can even connect multiple instruments to the same VuLink using our convenient cable splitter, so you can deploy sensors at different depths, or deploy multiple sensors with different sensor suites. It’s fully customizable!

One (convenient) size fits all

Buoy size can be a big obstacle for water quality programs with limited resources, particularly those without access to a large vessel. However, the Rugged Buoy weighs only 35 pounds, so it’s easily deployed or retrieved by one person. Also, the retractable stilling well is adjustable for varying deployment depths and decreases the size of the buoy for shipping and storage. Most buoys require freight shipping or have to be disassembled for shipping and reassembled onsite. The Rugged Buoy ships fully assembled using standard shipping, so transport costs are low.

Built to handle the elements without hassle

We also designed the Rugged Buoy to be as reliable and easy to use as possible. It’s constructed with saltwater and UV-resistant materials such as anodized aluminum, and we even tested to make sure it’s safe for antifouling paint. (It is!) The hardshell float is filled with closed-cell foam. So, even if it’s damaged, it will still float. The faceted surface prevents the buoy from rolling while on its side for servicing or transporting. It comes with a lift handle and a padded nylon strap to make carrying and retrieving it a breeze. And spare parts are field replaceable and don’t require special tools or training.

Another user experience – Elcee Instruments

For Elcee Instruments & Services, a company located in Malaysia supporting clients in their environmental monitoring projects around Southeast Asia, the Rugged Buoy proved an essential part of a complete monitoring package for a client working with local fisheries. The Fisheries Research Institute (FRI) in Penang, Malaysia, works with local fishermen to improve the monitoring of fish farms. The coast of Penang has a sizable aquaculture industry largely comprised of floating fish farms—wooden structures anchored to the seafloor close to the coast. The fish are typically reared in brackish waters, with salinity rarely exceeding 30 PSU. However, they are vulnerable to several environmental factors including heavy-metal pollution, harmful algal blooms and excessive nutrient runoff from nearby rivers. The farms are also exposed to the open ocean and are often affected by significant wave action during storms and the monsoon season, so the monitoring station had to be sufficiently robust to handle these conditions. However, installation of fixed monitoring stations at each fish farm was deemed too time consuming and expensive.

To help FRI manage the risks to the farms and meet constraints on time and cost, Elcee proposed a real-time monitoring system for water quality using the Aqua TROLL 700 Multiparameter Sonde and VuLink. The Aqua TROLL 700 collects data on water temperature, conductivity, turbidity, pH, dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll a and blue-green algae at regular intervals determined by FRI. This data is then transmitted by VuLink to HydroVu. The equipment is deployed in a Rugged Buoy. Robust enough to withstand the average sea state during monsoon season, it’s also small enough to quickly recover if a severe storm is predicted. But the biggest advantage of the Rugged Buoy is its lightweight, simple design. The buoy can be set up on shore and deployed from the side of the boat by just one person. The small size also means that maintenance for biofouling can be done quickly, reducing time spent in the field.

Overall, with the ease of use of the Aqua TROLL 700 and VuLink, installation takes only a few minutes. And data collected and stored in HydroVu creates a powerful database that FRI can use to enable farmers to monitor trends in water quality, protect their stocks, and encourage safe, efficient and profitable seafood production.

The In-Situ Rugged Buoy is the latest addition to a shared ecosystem of instrumentation, accessories and software for simplified deployment, reliable operation and delivery of decision-quality data in many applications.