FleetLink: Meteorological and Oceanographic Data Automatically Telemetered from Fishing Vessels

Robert C. Groman

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Presented at the New England Marine Workshop

October 30, 2002

What Is FleetLink?

The FleetLink project is a partnership between oceanographers, engineers, private entrepreneurs, commercial fish harvesters, and federal agency representatives …

FleetLink is

• a system to collect, telemeter, analyze, assimilate, and distribute high-quality, synoptic environmental (hydrography, meteorology, biology) data from the coastal ocean.

The FleetLink Goal is

• to create shared, real-time data management system(s) that may be used by any individual, program, or agency for research, education, assessment, management, marketing, regulation, modeling, and/or prediction.

Initial Partners

• Initial partners included Ann Bucklin and Rollie Barnaby (UNH), Chrys Chryssostomidis and Cliff Goudey (MIT), Peter Wiebe, Dave Hosom, Hartley Hoskins, Bob Groman (WHOI), Gary Williams (Clearwater Instrumentation, Inc.), and Craig Pendleton (Portland Fish Exchange)

Current Participants

• Ann Bucklin (UNH)

• Gary Williams (Clearwater Instrumentation)

• Bob Kohl (F/V Glenna & Jacob)

• Cam McLellan (F/V Adventurer)

• Craig Pendleton (F/V Susan & Caitlyn)

• Peter Wiebe and Bob Groman (WHOI)

Instrumentation

R/V Susan & Caitlyn

with computer running Windows

Instrumentation

• MetTower sensors– Wind speed– Wind direction– Relative humidity– Barometric pressure– Air temperature

Instrumentation

• NetSensor:– Clamps to trawl wire

– Developed by Clearwater

– Records bottom temperature and pressure

– RF link to Deckmate, then to PC

Instrumentation

• Hull-mounted sensor– Records sea surface

temperature– For climate change

research, fisheries predictive models, etc.

On-Shore Data Management

• Data sent via satellite to server ashore• Web-based access• Multiple data servers supported• Uses US JGOFS data management software• Access to

– Public data, and

– Private data

Sample Data

• People can view (and download)– Meteorological and sea surface temperature dat

a– Captains’ comments– Most recent NWS measurements

• Level 0 and level 1

– Position information not available to public• Level 0, level 1, and level 2

Current Developments

• Funding secured from UNH’s Coastal Ocean Observing and Analysis Center

• Two years of support– Increase from 3 to 6 vessels

In the Works

• Lower telemetry costs using Iridium instead of Inmarsat C

• Deployable software– Robust configuration– User documentation– CD-based distribution (commercialize

software)

Thank You

• Suggestions for changes and improvements would be welcome