FleetLink: Meteorological and Oceanographic Data Automatically Telemetered from Fishing Vessels

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FleetLink Meteorological and Oceanographic Data
Automatically Telemetered from Fishing Vessels
Robert C. Groman Woods Hole Oceanographic
Institution
Presented at the New England Marine
Workshop October 30, 2002
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What Is FleetLink?
The FleetLink project is a partnership between
oceanographers, engineers, private entrepreneurs,
commercial fish harvesters, and federal agency
representatives
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FleetLink is

• a system to collect, telemeter, analyze,
  assimilate, and distribute high-quality, synoptic
  environmental (hydrography, meteorology, biology)
  data from the coastal ocean.

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The FleetLink Goal is

• to create shared, real-time data management
  system(s) that may be used by any individual,
  program, or agency for research, education,
  assessment, management, marketing, regulation,
  modeling, and/or prediction.

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Initial Partners

• Initial partners included Ann Bucklin and Rollie
  Barnaby (UNH), Chrys Chryssostomidis and Cliff
  Goudey (MIT), Peter Wiebe, Dave Hosom, Hartley
  Hoskins, Bob Groman (WHOI), Gary Williams
  (Clearwater Instrumentation, Inc.), and Craig
  Pendleton (Portland Fish Exchange)

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Current Participants

• Ann Bucklin (UNH)
• Gary Williams (Clearwater Instrumentation)
• Bob Kohl (F/V Glenna Jacob)
• Cam McLellan (F/V Adventurer)
• Craig Pendleton (F/V Susan Caitlyn)
• Peter Wiebe and Bob Groman (WHOI)

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Instrumentation

• R/V Susan Caitlyn
• with computer running Windows

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Instrumentation

• MetTower sensors
• Wind speed
• Wind direction
• Relative humidity
• Barometric pressure
• Air temperature

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Instrumentation

• NetSensor
• Clamps to trawl wire
• Developed by Clearwater
• Records bottom temperature and pressure
• RF link to Deckmate, then to PC

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Instrumentation

• Hull-mounted sensor
• Records sea surface temperature
• For climate change research, fisheries predictive
  models, etc.

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On-Shore Data Management

• Data sent via satellite to server ashore
• Web-based access
• Multiple data servers supported
• Uses US JGOFS data management software
• Access to
• Public data, and
• Private data

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Sample Data

• People can view (and download)
• Meteorological and sea surface temperature data
• Captains comments
• Most recent NWS measurements
• Level 0 and level 1
• Position information not available to public
• Level 0, level 1, and level 2

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Current Developments

• Funding secured from UNHs Coastal Ocean
  Observing and Analysis Center
• Two years of support
• Increase from 3 to 6 vessels

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In the Works

• Lower telemetry costs using Iridium instead of
  Inmarsat C
• Deployable software
• Robust configuration
• User documentation
• CD-based distribution (commercialize software)

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Thank You

• Suggestions for changes and improvements would be
  welcome