{"id":188413,"date":"2023-12-10T10:00:22","date_gmt":"2023-12-10T20:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=188413"},"modified":"2023-12-08T16:26:25","modified_gmt":"2023-12-09T02:26:25","slug":"saildrone-mission-water-quality","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2023\/12\/10\/saildrone-mission-water-quality\/","title":{"rendered":"UH<\/abbr> saildrone mission completes unprecedented water quality survey"},"content":{"rendered":"Reading time: <\/span> 2<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span>

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The most comprehensive survey of near-shore ocean water quality around the main Hawaiian Islands has been completed by a team from the University of Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> at Mānoa<\/a> using Saildrone Explorers, autonomous sailing vehicles loaded with scientific sensors. A variety of factors for water quality were monitored and the findings are expected to help state leaders make informed decisions on policies to protect Â鶹´«Ã½\u2019s<\/span> coasts and prepare the state for climate change impacts.<\/p>\n

Three saildrones surveyed the Hawaiian Islands from April 6 to November 27. The goal of the mission was to collect high-resolution surface water quality data around Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Island, Maui, Lānaʻi,<\/span> Molokaʻi,<\/span> Kahoʻolawe,<\/span> Oʻahu,<\/span> Kauaʻi<\/span> and Niʻihau.<\/span> The saildrones sailed a zig-zag pattern, surveying each island and covering more than 20,000 nautical miles. Maui and Â鶹´«Ã½<\/span> Island were surveyed twice, six months apart, to help provide insights into potential seasonal patterns in ocean chemistry.<\/p>\n

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Map showing the saildrone mission around the Hawaiian Islands. Each color represents one of the saildrones. (Photo credit: Saildrone Inc.)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

“Given the length and complexity of Â鶹´«Ã½’s<\/span> coastal waters, this type of study would not have been possible a few years ago,” said Christopher Sabine, UH<\/abbr> Mānoa interim vice provost for research and scholarship and principal investigator for the project. “Technology has opened new opportunities to explore our oceans and understand how they are changing in new and exciting ways.”<\/p>\n

The mission gathered well over a hundred thousand essential water quality measurements, including temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll, turbidity, pH and CO2<\/abbr> levels in both the water and air. These data are crucial for understanding the natural and human-driven patterns of water chemistry and assessing the impact of climate change and ocean acidification on marine resources.<\/p>\n

“This new data covers more area around the state than we’ve previously had before, which will give us a better understanding of these patterns over our coastline area,” said Amy Markel, UH<\/abbr> Mānoa oceanography PhD<\/abbr> student on the project.<\/p>\n

Related UH<\/abbr> News<\/em> stories<\/p>\n