New Pelekane Bay Water Quality Buoy
New Pelekane Bay Water Quality Buoy
Posted March 9, 2018PacIOOS deployed a new water quality buoy in Pelekane Bay, on the west side of Hawaiʻi Island. The new buoy collects salinity, temperature, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, and chlorophyll measurements in 15-min intervals. All data are freely available online.
Pelekane Bay, home to Puʻukoholā Heiau National Historic Site, experiences high turbidity levels due to overgrazing within the watershed and reduced wave activity after the construction of Kawaihae Harbor. Automated, real-time water quality measurements will enhance monitoring efforts and provide baseline data. The water quality buoy will support efforts from the South Kohala Coastal Partnership and other initiatives that are aiming to reduce sediment runoff in the South Kohala watersheds to protect nearby coral reef ecosystems. Pelakane Bay also lies within NOAA’s West Hawaiʻi Habitat Blueprint Focus Area.
Photo Credit: James Terhune.
