To monitor the spatial and temporal coverage of hypoxia, develop appropriate indictors, and measure the response of hypoxia to changing loads, it is necessary to deploy a monitoring network adequate to quantify the duration, spatial extent, and thickness of the hypoxic layer. The OxyMoorON project will provide temperature and dissolved oxygen data in Lake Erie to assess hypolimnetic dissolved oxygen status and trends. Based on research conducted by GLERL from 2017-2020 with funding from the NOAA Coastal Hypoxia Research Program, we will deploy a network of 10 moorings, at locations throughout the central basin, to measure hypoxia development and coverage. Each mooring will be outfitted with 6-8 temperature and dissolved oxygen sensors to monitor changes throughout the water column at 20-minute intervals from May through September. The data from these sensors will be archived at NCEI and support further development and testing of models (including the LimnoTech whole-lake model) for simulating the response of hypoxia to climatic conditions and changes in nutrient inputs. They will also be used to guide the development of metrics that quantify the extent of hypoxia to evaluate progress in hypoxia reduction.
Funding:
FY2024: $354,000
FY2023: $312,000
FY2022: $332,000
Contact:
Craig.Stow@noaa.gov