Here's a way to float a great idea.
Equip a range of seagoing vessels -- including private yachts and passenger cruise ships -- with science gear to provide real-time information helpful in calibrating satellite data about Earth's endangered oceans.
Current weather conditions, sea surface temperature, salt content, phytoplankton levels, even getting an early look at the build-up of El Nino conditions - these and other measurements are part of a do-it-yourself campaign to help save the oceans.
The International SeaKeepers Society, headquartered in Miami, Florida, is outfitting luxury yachts, other vessels, and platforms around the world with ocean and atmospheric monitoring sensors. Stuffed inside compact instrument modules, the sensors gather and transmit findings via satellite to scientists around the globe. The health of the oceans, changing weather, shifts in climate, sources of pollution and other threats to human life and marine resources can be examined.
Just over four years old, SeaKeepers work in applying technology to solve global challenges was saluted November 7 by The Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose, California. The organization was among five winners presented awards by Applied Materials, Inc.
SeaKeepers received The Intel Environment Award.
Helping hand to the heavens
"Healthy oceans are critical to our planet's survival. The international yachting community, through SeaKeepers, has a remarkable opportunity to be a leader in the effort to save our imperiled oceans," explains Jean Michel Cousteau, member of the group's board of directors that includes top scientists, environmental leaders, authors, and a movie producer among its number.
Sylvia Earle, explorer in residence for the National Geographic Society, chairs SeaKeepers scientific council.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has a formal agreement with the Society to distribute SeaKeepers data to weather forecasters, government agencies like NASA, and ocean research institutes around the world.
Vessels participating in SeaKeepers take a low-cost approach in offering a helping-hand to the heavens. That is, to aid scientists and agencies in calibrating, verifying, and increasing the accuracy of satellite readings being obtained by the multi-billion-dollar network of research and monitoring satellites.
Improved oceanic monitoring involves an array of jobs: From tracking off-shore pollution plumes to early detection and warning of toxic algae growth.
Ocean-truth
Through the efforts of SeaKeepers, super yachts, cruise ships and commercial vessels become research platforms. They do so by carrying a suite of ocean and weathering watching equipment. This array of sensors fashioned into a module was developed in partnership with the Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science, University of Miami (RSMAS), along with a several companies and institutions.
For instance, a standard SeaKeepers sensor cluster studies wind speed and direction, air temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, and sea surface temperature, as well as salinity, acidity, chlorophyll and turbidity values of water.
Other ocean probing sensors that can keep check on carbon dioxide, heavy metals, and nutrient level build-up are being considered as well. SeaKeepers is open to packaging additional sensors within a module. All vessels equipped with the science-gathering module carry special certificates of appreciation issued by the United Nations.
One of the group's goals is deploying around the planet a Color Dissolved Organic Material (CDOM) device. SeaKeepers is working with SeaPoint Sensors Inc. of Kingston, Rhode Island on the CDOM optical sensor, designed to easily snap into place with other module elements. Readings from the sensor can provide useful data for assessing the level of run off in coastal areas and for evaluating likely food stocks in the oceans.
Ultimately, CDOM readings from SeaKeepers yachts in coastal waters will help scientists at NASA recalibrate ocean color sensors in satellites and allow more accurate projections of plankton -- the basic ingredient in the oceans' food chain.
The CDOM sensor is built for mailing to yachts and cruise ships sailing in areas where NASA needs ground-truth, or in this case, "ocean-truth" readings.
Scientific sailors
Data gathered by a CDOM sensor and the other module instruments are computer downloded and sent skyward every three hours, picked up by satellite, then relayed to the University of Miami's RSMAS for immediate distribution to NASA and other government agencies.
At present over 50 yachts and several cruise ship lines are committed to the SeaKeepers program - a virtual armada of support ships.
SeaKeepers roster of scientific sailors includes Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, equipping his private mega-ship, Meduse, with the sensors. Then there's the good ship Tatoosh and its proud owner, cellular phone guru, Craig McCaw.
Shipshape seas
For its part, the Carnival Corporation's Triumph, Amsterdam, and Spirit cruise ships are fully equipped with SeaKeepers ocean and weather monitoring module.
Royal Caribbean is also a SeaKeepers Society sponsor and has plans to have an operational module on its new 3,114-guest ship, Explorer of the Seas. It sails to the Eastern and Western Caribbean round trip from Miami.
Other ocean liners are on tap for installation of the module, either as they come off the production line or go into dry dock.
Tourist-toting passenger ships, crisscrossing the oceans, are especially useful. They gather and transmit ocean and weather data on a constant basis, doing so while they travel over the same sea routes, thus detecting ongoing and subtle changes in select areas of ocean.
On-the-spot science taking during cruise ship outings is an ideal educational outreach to interested passengers. That prospect is being explored by SeaKeepers in further shaping the group's front-line role in striving for far-healthier oceans.
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