Yacht-mounted sensors could acquire real-time ocean data

The data gathered will have a number of potential applications, including improved weather forecasting, marine ecosystem understanding and coastal and fisheries management.

The YachtGOOS (global ocean observing system) is already in the pilot phase, with a couple of private yachts carrying the sensor technology — including the Pogo40 Racer/cruiser Kaitek, which is currently undertaking a four-year circumnavigation expedition.

Participating boats require minor modifications to the keel, allowing water to flow through a pipe past the sensor and back out again.

UK-based Chelsea Technologies Group is manufacturing the sensors, which take surface measurements of salinity, temperature and fluorescence (a proxy for chlorophyll in toxic algal blooms).

Currently, these sorts of data are gathered by costly oceanographic cruises or special satellites — the latter requiring calibration with measurements taken at sea.

‘They are incredibly important in understanding dynamics of the ocean and we’re not trying to replace these classic measurements. What I am saying is that this project makes it possible to acquire, in an eco-friendly way, a huge amount of data that could be really useful,’ project collaborator Emilio Tesi of the Environmental Ocean Team (EOT) told The Engineer. ‘Satellites must be continuously calibrated with in-situ measurements and our project could actually help with that too.’