The Ocean Studies Institute's Ocean Observatory Program: CICORE in San Pedro Bay, California

Abstract

The Oceans Studies Institute (OSI) of the California State Universities (CSU) has three multi-sensor instrumentation sites in the Southern California Bight as part of the CSU's Center for Integrative Coastal Observation, Research and Education (CICORE) program. The program, under the auspices of NOAA-COTS, has a mandate to monitor California coastal water and shores. OSI was added to the CICORE program in 2004. The program is under the direction of Dr. Richard Pieper, director of the Southern California Marine Institute (SCMI). SCMI provides vessel, logistical and scientific support to eight CSU campuses, the University of Southern California and Occidental College. Technical support to the CICORE program is provided by the College of Engineering, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. The OSI/SCMI CICORE program is unique in that data from the sites are transmitted by UHF spread-spectrum telemetry to the OSI/SCMI facility located at Fish Harbor, Terminal Island. It is transferred to the internet for near real time global access. Each site monitors temperature, chlorophyll-a fluorescence, turbidity, pH, conductivity/salinity, dissolved oxygen, solar panel voltage and battery voltage. This paper presents an overview of the system, with emphasis on the advantage of high data rate monitoring and the use of the data in successful prosecution of marine polluters.