ISSUE #6

Louisiana Levees
Reinventing flood protection
from the ground up

Nord Stream 2
EU natural gas pipeline leads
to unexpected discoveries

Lake Taihu
China's far-reaching efforts
to understand algae

From Cells
to Satellites
Red Tide Monitoring in the Gulf of Mexico
 HEADLINE
IN THIS ISSUE

Surface Water
06 Closing the Gates — Terrebonne Parish

14 Water Hero — Jordan Hofmeier

Feature Story
20 Cells to Satellites — Red Tide Monitoring

26 Florida's Red Tide Blues — Infographic

20
International Waters
28 Data Driven Decisions Improve Lake Taihu

34 Nord Stream 2 — Energy & Science

Xylem Spotlight
44 Q&A with Ron Metzger, R&D Manager

48 Xylem Watermark — Student Cards

06
50 Technical Tips — Doppler Profilers

Endangered
Beetles, Page 14

28

34

Share your story in our next edition:

MissionWater@Xyleminc.com
2
 MISSION: WATERHEADLINE
STAFF

A MESSAGE FROM OUR DIRECTOR

Thanks for reading our latest issue of Mission: Water! It’s the engagement of environmental researchers,
policymakers, and practitioners like you that moves the needle toward a better environmental future.
As always, the magazine features a wide breadth of topics and geographic locations to best represent the
full scope of water-related projects taking place all around the world.

Throughout the following pages, you’ll learn how communities in Louisiana are taking flood protection
into their own hands, and see how Chinese officials are using data to improve the conditions of Lake Taihu.
You’ll read about the development of the Nord Stream2 natural gas pipeline in northern Europe—and the
hidden discoveries at the bottom of the Baltic Sea.

We also put a spotlight on Florida’s recent battles with red tide, and explore how the state’s approach to
managing the ecological fallout has evolved with new technology.

If you’d like your water-related project highlighted in a future issue, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team
at MissionWater@Xyleminc.com. We’re always looking to highlight the hard work of people like you!

Timothy A. Grooms
Director of Marketing
Xylem Analytics, NA

Editorial Staff Magazine Contributors

Dr. Stephanie Smith Nancy Liu

Brandon Smith Staff Writer Content Contributor
Executive Editor
Brandon.Smith@Xyleminc.com Steve Werblow Kyle Waits
Staff Writer Drone Photography

Brittany Jenner Emily Jensen

Patrick Beatty Contributing Writer Communications Team
Creative Director
Patrick.Beatty@Xyleminc.com Daniel Kelly Lyndsey McDermand
Contributing Writer Communications Team

Becky Linser Patrick Higgins

Contributing Designer Communications Team
Nate Christopher
Associate Designer
Nate.Christopher@Xyleminc.com
Chunli Zheng Peter Bornhorst
Content Contributor Communications Team

Copyright © 2019 Xylem Inc. All rights reserved. The publishers have made Cover Photo: PILOTTOWN, LOUISIANA
every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information in this magazine. Delta of Mississippi River seen from space - contains
modified Copernicus Sentinel data from ESA - Image
Who’s Minding the Planet? 3
 HEADLINE
WATER BLOGGED
Water Blogged
CastAway On-Demand Webinar
with Dr. Xue Fan (SonTek) and Dr. Todd
Martz (Scripps Institute of Oceanography)
Energize Your Science Class with
New Custom Lesson Plan for Educators
Small, handy and easy-to-use, the CastAway-CTD is
a fan-favorite used by researchers, oceanographers
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The instrument is also widely-used as a tool in
environmental science classes as a way to help
instructors teach water property fundamentals and
demonstrate methods to collect data.
Today, educators have even more resources with a
NEW customized lesson plan focusing on salinity
measurements, now available with all CastAway-CTDs!
Join SonTek Application Engineer, Dr. Xue Fan, and
special guest presenter from the Scripps Institution
of Oceanography, Dr. Todd Martz, for an on-demand
webinar to learn how the CastAway-CTD and
accompanying curriculum can inspire and
engage students!
Watch the Webinar: bit.ly/CTDlesson
Join us for more stories at: YSI.com/blog
4
Top 8 Reasons to Upgrade from
the ProODO to ProSolo
YSI commercialized the first practical dissolved oxygen
sensor using the Clark Polarographic electrode in
1962. Since then, YSI has released many revolutionary
platforms for the measurement of dissolved oxygen. In
2008, we released our first handheld optical dissolved
oxygen instrument designed for sampling applications
– the ProODO.
Over the past 10 years, this handheld has dominated
the sampling market on its way to becoming one of
the most important products in YSI’s history. With the
release of the YSI ProSolo meter, the time has come to
retire the ProODO.
Check out the top 8 reasons to Go Solo in this
blog post, and download the ProODO and ProSolo
Comparison Guide for even more information!
Read it on the Blog: bit.ly/GoSolo8
Handheld Guide: bit.ly/ODOupgradeguide
 SOCIAL
HEADLINE
SHARES

Social Shares
Marie-Pier Hébert @MP_Heb
On this International Day of Women & Girls in Science,
I'm grateful to work with inspiring & wonderful
women, contributing to advance our understanding of
aquatic ecosystems (...under ANY conditions #nofear)
#WomenInSTEM @womenofaquatics
@TrixieBB @Finninquebec @GRIL_Limnologie

10:08 AM - Feb 11, 2019

3 Retweets 5 Likes

Ronald F. Bond @rfbond007

Summer 2018 #waterquality #sampling in an

#irrigation canal in Washington State with a
ProDSS on sampling pole...@YSIinc @wifss @
UCD_WCFS @UCDavisResearch @WSWRA

1:11 AM - Feb 3, 2019 from Yakima, WA

3 Retweets 8 Likes

Matt Smith @MattSmithEco

Me: "What did the beach say to the wave?"
...
Me: "Long tide, no sea"
(Candid) pic from the FIU Sea Level Solutions Day in
Fall 2018 @FIUWater @CRESTCAChE #sciencepuns
#kingtide #tbt

2:40 PM - Jan 24, 2019

2 Retweets 5 Likes

Connect with us: facebook.com/myYSI youtube.com/ysiinc twitter.com/YSIinc

5
 SURFACE WATER

MONITORING AND INGENUITY HELP

LOUISIANA COMMUNITIES BATTLE STORMS

Written by STEVE WERBLOW,

Layout by BECKY LINSER

6 MISSION: WATER

Local initiative and ingenuity are protecting Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, from storm surges.
Since 2007, $414 million has been invested on flood protection in region; locals have paid 57% of the tab.
Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana
got the name "good land" from French-speaking
settlers—French Canadians evicted by the British in
1755, and another wave of French citizens from
New Orleans fleeing the Spanish takeover
of their city in 1762.
The rich land was indeed good for growing sugar
cane and grazing cattle. But with 987 square miles
(2,556 km2) of land and 1,079 square miles (2,795
km2) of lakes and waterways, Terrebonne Parish is
actually more water than land.
"We have so many waterways, we're so inundated
with water, it's part of life," says Jason Kennedy,
one of the founders of Delta Coast Consultants in
Terrebonne's largest city, Houma, Louisiana. "It's
the reason people are here, come here, live here."
But all that water also poses a serious threat to
the 112,000 residents of the parish (Louisiana's
counterpart to a county, a legacy of its origins as a
colony of France).
The threat is heightened by the steady loss of
elevation of the low-lying landscape. Sediments
that used to be deposited by the Mississippi River
to build the land are now shunted into the Gulf by
a faster-moving, channelized river.
Who’s Minding the Planet?
SURFACE WATER
Banks and barriers are eroded by tidal surges, and
as gas and oil deposits are pumped out, the land is
dropping an average of 9 millimeters per year. That
is a lot to lose when the average elevation of the
parish is just six feet (1.82 meters) above sea level.
Terrebonne Parish also sits at the top of a 90-mile-
long, shallow coastal shelf, Kennedy notes. When
hurricanes spin up the Gulf of Mexico, the shelf
builds storm energy into huge surges that slam into
the parish and wash over the communities.
In years past, vegetated barrier islands absorbed
part of the blow and kept some of the water away
from the mainland. But those islands have been
starved of sediment for about 80 years, since the
U.S. government channelized the Mississippi River to
prevent flooding, so they have shrunk dramatically.
Now Terrebonne's fishing villages and parish seat of
Houma look storms directly in the eye.
"We have more effect from 25-knot south wind now
than we ever had—tremendously high tidal events
because of normal frontal passages," Kennedy
notes. "Ahead of a front, 30-knot southeast winds
are almost like a little hurricane.
"It seems like the last 15 years, we've had more
extreme weather events than we ever had," he adds.
That compounds the problem.
7
 SURFACE WATER

Gibson
Lockport
24
LAFOURCHE

Houma 1
182
Larose
N
24
315
Map key

n Canal
Constructed
TERREBONNE
Under
construction

avigatio
Permit and 57 Montegut
design phase Dularge Houma N
Planned project Chauvin
Floodgate
Lake
Boudreaux

Dulac

Houma
Navigation
Canal Lock

Terrebone Parish, Morganza to the Gulf Hurricane Protection System

Critical Need
Detail area

The federal government saw the need for a flood
control system through Terrebonne and neighboring
parishes, and in 1992, began a study to map out a
project. Congressional acts in 2007 and 2014 resulted
in authorizations for a $10.8 billion plan—dubbed the
Morganza to the Gulf Hurricane Protection System
after the town that marks its projected starting point—
but the government never funded the projects.
After hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 and Gustav
and Ike in 2008, the Terrebonne residents decided to
raise their own money to start building the parts of
the system slated for their parish. Twice they voted in
sales taxes to finance the effort.
Even with tax revenues and other state funds,
Terrebonne Parish has had to be innovative to
afford its system. For more, visit: TPCG.org
The portion of the Morganza to the Gulf plan now
under construction includes 98 miles of levees,
peaking at 18 to 20 feet in height. Floodgates manage
canals, rivers and bayous—the sluggish outlets of
rivers that are characteristic of the region—that pass
through the levees, while environmental gates permit
flow to wetlands.
Even with tax revenues and the help of cost-share
funds from the state, Terrebonne Parish has had to be
innovative to afford its system, notes Reggie Dupre,
executive director of the Terrebonne Levee and
Conservation District. Dupre, born in a small fishing
village on the edge of the Gulf, spent years lobbying
for the flood protection project as a state legislator
representing his home parish. Today, he leads the
effort to see it through its construction.

8 MISSION: WATER

Innovative Gates
When Dupre started on the Morganza
to the Gulf project, there were two
arc-shaped, rolling sector floodgates in
place, built by the district's predecessor
using Corps of Engineers designs. With
new design standards and the need to
build floodgates to a higher elevation, the
cost of building sector gates was very high, he
says. Instead of replicating those expensive designs,
the levee district adopted a much more cost-
effective, local approach called a barge gate.
In the open position, a barge as long as the channel
is wide sits on a platform, weighed down by a few
feet of water in its hull. One side of the barge is
attached to a piling that serves as a pivot, like the
hinge on a door.
When a storm approaches, the gate crew empties
the water to float the barge off of its platform, then
reels in the loose end to shut it like a door across the
channel. Once it fully blocks the channel, the crew
fills its hull with water to sink it in place on a set of
pins, forming a seal on the concrete floor of
the channel.
"You're really fighting water with water," Dupre
notes. "They take longer to operate than a sector
gate, but once they're closed, they work just as well."
Emptied of water, a barge gate floats, and can easily be pulled by cables to open or close the waterway.
When the hull is filled with water, the barge gate sinks into place and forms a seal with the channel floor.
Who’s Minding the Planet?
SURFACE WATER
So far, the levee district has built 11 barge
gates, each about one-third the cost
of a sector gate. The largest and most
expensive of the barge floodgates is the
Houma Navigational Canal "Bubba Dove"
Floodgate, completed in 2013 at a cost of
$50 million.
With a 250-foot (76 m) opening, a sill depth of -24 feet
(7.3 m) and a flood protection elevation of +18 feet (5.5
m), the Bubba Dove Floodgate is one of the largest in
the U.S. Building a sector gate at that location would
have cost more than $150 million, Dupre notes.
Closing a barge gate is a delicate operation that
requires a skilled crew and favorable conditions.
Without a slight but steady current pushing against the
closing motion, it can be like slamming a 273-foot-long
(83-meter), 250-ton steel door shut in a windstorm.
"We didn't have the resources to build these sector
gates that can work in adverse conditions, so
we have to work with the tides to close them,"
Dupre explains.
”YOU'RE REALLY FIGHTING
WATER WITH WATER.“
9
 SURFACE WATER
Monitoring is Key
Working with the tides—especially in a system that
is half aquatic—requires a close eye on the ebb and
flow of water. Over the past three years, Delta Coast
Consultants has been working with Xylem to install
suites of monitoring instruments on both sides of
its many barge gates. These stations provide all
kinds of data on parameters like water level, water
velocity, water flow and direction, and wind speed
and direction. These data are transmitted every six
minutes to the levy district's command center.
By the start of the 2019 hurricane season in June, 10
of the parish's 13 floodgates will have Nile WaterLOG
radar stage sensors; SonTek-SL (side-looking) velocity,
level and flow meters; RM Young wind sensors; rain
gauges and dataloggers.
Closely monitoring stage and flow in real time has
allowed the levee district team to see the dramatic
effects of landscape, wind, and tide on surges across
the parish. Kennedy points out that an incoming tide
at one monitoring system can push an outgoing flow
two miles away, and notes that flood stages can vary
by half a foot (15 centimeters) from one bayou
to another.
Using the technology to both study and monitor water
movement in the parish illustrates what make Delta
Coast and the levee district so great to work with, says
Lisa Landry, Xylem technical sales rep in Baton
Rouge, Louisiana.
"We love how innovative and outside-the-box they
are, and how dedicated they are to public safety,"
Landry says.
Barge Gate and Navigation Lock Design
Environmental
West Levee 250' Floodgate
Tie-In Receiving
Structure
West Flood Wall
250' Floodgate
10
Vital Links
Dupre adds that understanding the dynamics of the
system and receiving the data from the SonTek-SLs
are vital to allocating his staff resources as storms are
blowing in.
"Some of the gates take as many as six people to
operate, and they can take an hour and a half to
close, as opposed to three minutes for a sector gate,"
he explains. "You have 18 operations employees
trying to operate 13 flood gates across 60 miles.
So this technology becomes very, very important to
understanding what's going on and how it affects
where you want to send your employees.
"Without this YSI system, we'd need double the
amount of employees, which we can't afford,"
Dupre adds.
Of course, Dupre's team relies on a constant stream of
data in the sorts of circumstances almost guaranteed
to threaten communications channels. To keep the
information flowing, Kennedy and his staff built
in several signal safeguards to make sure that the
district's command center is constantly in touch with
data from the field.
"The first thing to go out is power," he says. "All these
sites have backup power. The next thing to go out is
the cell phone towers, so if you lose the cell signal
from these, we've got satellite-based contact. It's a
pretty mission-critical system."
Sector Gate
(Protected Side)
YSI
Lock Chamber Operations Area
Monitoring
Stations Control House
Sector Gate East Flood Wall East Levee
(Flood Side) Tie-In
MISSION: WATER
 SURFACE WATER

One of Terrebonne Levee and

Conservation District's barge gates
(foreground) stands open.
The gate system is being modified
to encourage fresh water to circulate
among the bayous.

Bubba Dove Bayou Grand

Floodgate Caillou Floodgate
Built 2013, Floodgate Closures for
Total cost: $52.6 Million Tropical Storm Cindy, June 2017

It takes a team of as many as six workers as long as 1.5 hours to move a barge gate from the open position (left) to closed (right),
so timely, accurate data on water velocity, direction and stage is vital to the district.

Public Interest
It didn't take long for residents of Terrebonne Parish News on the gates also allows them to get
who rely on the waterways—the shrimpers and back to work after storms blow through.
oystermen, the barge haulers, the recreational fishing
enthusiasts—to ask for access to the data streaming "Everybody wants to know not only when
into the levee district's system. it's going to close, but when it's going to
open," Kennedy notes. "We don't want
The district commissioned a public app, then switched to keep things closed any longer than
to an online service at www.tlcd.org/mobile. we have to. There's so much commercial
interest in getting out to the water."
Visitors can click on any of the floodgates that have
instruments and get an instant, up-to-date look at To Kennedy, commercial interest is just one part of
flood-side stage, wind direction and wind speed, and what the levee system is being built to protect.
the status of the gate. Those who subscribe by sharing "You're protecting life and property of the people
their emails and cell numbers can get alerts when the who live here," he says. "But the other aspect is
gates are closing or opening. you're protecting the culture and the environmental
resources.
Kennedy says pilots on the system can use the
website and alerts to adjust their routes on the Gulf If we were to lose these coastal wetlands, Louisiana
Intracoastal Waterway and other channels based on would lose its identity. If we lose our coastal wetlands,
gate closures—decisions that can keep them working there's no more seafood, no more crawfish, no more
during changes in the weather or get them home Cajun culture. The communities that have been built
safely as storms close in. here, that's what they're built on."

Who’s Minding the Planet? 11

 SURFACE WATER
Terrebonne Parish: Losing the Barrier
In the 1800s, Terrebonne Parish farmers grazed
cattle on the rich grass that stretched almost out to
the barrier islands protecting the wetlands from the
Gulf of Mexico. Isle Derniers—"the last island"—was a
25-mile-long (40 km-long) strip of sand laid by the
Mississippi River and shaped by wind and waves.
For years, it was a popular resort, lined with summer
homes, hotels and casinos until an 1856 hurricane
buried the island under five feet (1.5 meters) of water,
wrenching the buildings off their foundations and
tearing the island into pieces.
That erosion continues today and has picked up
speed, says Jason Kennedy of Delta Coast Consultants
in Houma, Louisiana.
"Thirty years ago, you could have thrown a football
across Whiskey Pass," he says, referring to one of the
breaks in the island. "Now, it's almost two miles wide."
Isle Derniers was a popular resort lined
with summer homes, hotels and casinos
until a major hurricane buried the island
under 5 feet of water (1.5 m) in 1856.
LEARN MORE:
LA's Strategic Adaptations for Future
Environments: LASAFE.la.gov
On Facebook:
facebook.com/livelasafe
STORY SURVEY:
Tell us how you felt about this
story: YSI.com/MW-Survey
12
The Mississippi River no longer supplies fresh
sediment to rebuild the island, Kennedy explains.
Instead, the federal government's channelization of
the river shoots sand and silt far out into the Gulf,
bypassing the coastal wetlands that were built and
continually restored by delta deposits. Without new
material, erosion gains the upper hand.
As the passes widen and barriers shrink, waves reach
farther inland, then must rush out more quickly than
ever to cover the growing distance back to the Gulf.
As the water speeds through the inlets, it pulls even
more sediment out to sea.
Kennedy hopes the Morganza to the Gulf Project—98
miles of levees, floodgates and a navigation lock—will
help manage storm surges not just to protect life
and property inland, but also to protect the coastal
wetlands from both fast and slow devastation.
”THIRTY YEARS AGO,
YOU COULD HAVE
THROWN A FOOTBALL
ACROSS WHISKEY PASS...
NOW IT'S ALMOST
TWO MILES WIDE.“
MISSION: WATER
 HEADLINE

© 2019 Xylem Inc.

SonTek-SL500
Superior velocity, level, and volume data quality

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Who’s Minding the Planet? 13
 SURFACE WATER

Jordan Hofmeier closely examines

the habitat of the Scott Riffle Beetle.

Water Heroes Interview

Jordan
Hofmeier
Protecting Endangered
'Scott Riffle' Beetles
About Kansas Department of Wildlife,
Parks & Tourism (KDWPT)
The KDWPT is an organization that "[The Scott Riffle Beetle] is a
regulates and governs outdoor recreation
and the fish and wildlife resources in the pretty dominant component for
state of Kansas. The department employs
approximately 460 total employees
the aquatic insect community."
across its numerous divisions.

Jordan’s Role
Aquatic Ecologist, Fisheries
& Wildlife Division

Alma Mater
Fort Hays State University
M.S. Fisheries Biology
B.S. Biology

14 MISSION: WATER
 SURFACE WATER

Thanks for joining us, Jordan.

Can you tell us about yourself
and the work you do?

Hofmeier: Sure thing! My name is

Jordan Hofmeier. I work with the
Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks
& Tourism as an aquatic ecologist, and
my primary job responsibilities are
to review development projects for
potential impacts to wildlife habitat
and to protect endangered species
through various conservation efforts.

Can you speak to the importance

of protecting endangered
species, specifically the Scott
Riffle Beetle?

Hofmeier: Our conservation efforts

around the Scott Riffle Beetle
(Optioservus phaeus) are important
for a couple of reasons. This is one of
the only nongame species endemic
to Kansas, meaning that it only occurs
here, at least as far as we know.
It’s an important part of our state's
biodiversity that we want to maintain.

Two, it is listed as an endangered

species under our state Nongame and
Endangered Species Conservation Act,
so by law it must be protected. It's also
been petitioned to be federally listed
so it's important to a lot of people in
our state.

Does the beetle itself provide

Scott Riffle Beetle
(Optioservus phaeus)
Status: Endangered
Species Class: Invertebrates
Recovery Plan: Yes
Both the adult and larval stages of this
small (3 mm) black beetle are aquatic.
The preferred habitat is the surface of
stones of well-oxygenated flowing water.
Source: KDWPT, Scott Optioservus Riffle Beetle Overview
any ecological benefits?
Hofmeier: The Scott Riffle Beetle
is limited to the natural springs and
spring-fed streams in Historic Lake
Scott State Park. So, given its very
limited geographic range, some may
perceive its ecological benefits as
minimal. But for the springs it inhabits,
it’s a pretty dominant component
for the aquatic insect community. It
has substantial interaction with the
periphyton that grows on the rocks,
and also provides food for other
insects and fish in the local ecosystem.

Who’s Minding the Planet? 15

 SURFACE WATER
How many beetles remain in Lake Scott
State Park today and what types of
conditions are threatening their survival?
Hofmeier: There are probably less than 10,000
individual beetles in the area, but that's a pretty big
shot in the dark. It’s a challenge to determine the exact
number and we rely on sampling to provide estimates.
We’re currently trying to better understand the
conditions that impact the population. One of our
biggest concerns is the health of the overall Ogallala
Aquifer that feeds the spring the beetles live in. We
want to monitor the discharge from the spring and
groundwater levels to see if there is any correlation
with changes in the beetle population.
Overall, I see depletion of the aquifer as the biggest
threat. This species is so isolated, that even very small
environmental events could have a substantial impact
on its survival.
Do you have an early hypothesis as to
what is driving the aquifer depletion?
Hofmeier: Definitely…irrigation. Western
Kansas is primarily cropland and the vast
majority of those crops are irrigated in
some form or another.
There are ongoing efforts in the state
to implement more efficient irrigation
systems and to plant less “thirsty” crops
until we can slow down the depletion
rate, but we’ve got a long way to go to
find the equilibrium.
The KDWPT performs regular habitat assessments to
keep a keen eye on the endangered beetle species.
16
What would you say to critics who
don't see value in protecting this
endangered species?
Hofmeier: Every species we have is important for
some reason. An ecosystem is like a building. If you
pull some nails or screws out of a building, it may not
collapse but the more and more damage we do to the
structure−or in this case an ecosystem−the more we
affect its integrity. And if you do enough damage over
time, you can cause chain reactions that destroy basic
ecosystem functions.
While the Scott Riffle Beetle does feed other
organisms in the spring, one of its other primary roles
in the ecosystem is to serve as an indicator of water
quality for the area. Their survival depends on regular
spring flow from the aquifer, with high dissolved
oxygen and low contaminant levels.
So, it serves as kind of a canary in the coal mine.
If we were to see abrupt decline in
population numbers, we’d have an early
indication for groundwater contamination
or that aquifer levels have reached
critical levels.
"[The Beetle] serves
as an indicator of
water quality for
the area."
MISSION: WATER
 SURFACE WATER

All Day, Every Day.

Are there specific water quality levels
that help the beetles thrive?

Hofmeier: We don't have a great baseline on
those levels right now, and that's why we’re
incorporating a water quality monitoring
component into our work…to better understand
these environmental conditions. If we can get a
better handle on the exact parameters allowing
the beetle to persist and thrive, then we can set
baseline requirements for the spring and work
toward maintaining those conditions.
We lack quite a bit of life history information
on this species and these data could be hugely
beneficial for making inferences into timing of
larva emergence and pupation. An extensive water
quality record will go a long ways for refining our
understanding of the beetle's life cycle.
The Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks &
Tourism installed a sophisticated monitoring station
in Historic Lake Scott State Park to help protect the
Scott Riffle Beetle.
The integrated system from YSI incorporates an
EXO Sonde outfitted with a number of water quality
sensors that keep tabs on the endangered species’
habitat. Water is pumped from the springs into
a flow cell where measurements are taken, then
pumped back to the natural environment.

We know that at least in other aquatic beetles,

dissolved oxygen is an important parameter to
monitor for respiration. We’re also monitoring
nitrates for potential groundwater contamination
and water levels in the spring to account for any
groundwater depletion.

We’re also tracking temperature as well since it

has a strong impact on dissolved oxygen, as well
as a number of other parameters like specific
conductance, pH, and others that may have some
impact on the population.
All of this data is collected at hourly intervals using
a monitoring station in the field. With real-time
data available, if we were to notice a sharp change
in the habitat conditions, we could take action to
protect the beetle as well. We’re working on setting
up automated alerts to inform us of these types of
emergency water quality levels, but first we need to
establish the baseline numbers to know
what’s normal.
The station is self-contained and powered by a
combination of solar panels and large batteries.
It is designed to operate 24/7, 365 days a year –
even during harsh Kansas winters where ambient
temperatures drop well below freezing.
“The beetles don’t head out for winter,” Hofmeier
joked. “We had to take a holistic approach that
would work even in the harshest weather conditions
in Western Kansas.”

And what would be a real life example of

actions your team would take based off of
those alerts, let's say for dissolved oxygen?

Hofmeier: If we did receive an alert from the

monitoring station, we would be able to remove
some beetles from the springs and store them in
aquariums for short-term storage. We could then
investigate the changes in water quality or level and
return them to the environment when it was safe to
do so. If there were a longer-term disturbance in the
ecosystem, it would be much harder to manage.

Who’s Minding the Planet? 17

 SURFACE WATER

Could your work with the Scott Riffle How can readers support your efforts
Beetle be replicated by other scientists to protect endangered species like
to protect isolated aquatic species? the Scott Riffle Beetle?

Hofmeier: Absolutely! This type of highly
restricted endemism isn’t unique. The work that my
team is doing could be applied to many of these
situations where an endangered species is located
in one specific location. If you have the equipment
and the capacity to monitor water quality for an
entire population, it can make a huge difference in
your conservation efforts.
Hofmeier: In Kansas we have a program called
Chickadee Checkoff, where residents can donate
to nongame species research, conservation and
education efforts. And I think there are a number
of other states that have similar programs. I’d
encourage everyone to check out their local fish
and wildlife agency’s website to see if they have
similar programs.

Our setup could work for monitoring a lot of Every donation gets us one
aquatic invertebrates. There are a number of fish step closer to reaching
species, for example, that are isolated to certain our goals.
springs or caves that would benefit from water
quality monitoring.

The general public, at least in Kansas, is

overwhelmingly in favor of conservation and
protection of endangered species, so they
support investments to do so.

Monitoring tools give us confidence in

our conservation and management
decisions, and help us do our job well.

Conservation efforts from

agencies like the KDWPT help to
protect endangered species and
maintain biodiversity.

LEARN MORE:

For more on the Scott Riffle

Beetle, visit: bit.ly/KSoutdoors

For more on the Chickadee

Checkoff, visit: bit.ly/KSchickadee

STORY SURVEY:

Tell us how you felt about this story:

YSI.com/MW-Survey

18 MISSION: WATER
 Better Data,
Better Decisions.

© 2019 Xylem Inc.

For decades, YSI has partnered with the world's
Custom Systems leading scientists to solve the most challenging of
problems. Let us handle the installation, design and
Support & Maintenance maintenance of your monitoring network because
with better data comes better decisions.

Monitoring Networks Speak with a systems expert

for your custom solution:
Data & Field Solutions +1 (727) 474-8535 | systems@ysi.com

YSI.com/Systems
Who’s Minding the Planet? 19
 FEATURE STORY

FROM

TO

Red Tide Monitoring in

the Gulf of Mexico
Written by Dr. STEPHANIE A. SMITH
Layout by NATE CHRISTOPHER

20 MISSION: WATER
 FEATURE STORY

IN 2018, THE
FLORIDA RED TIDE
made global headlines, a 16-month ordeal that
started around October 2017 and which didn’t
subside until February 2019. Though Florida
has experienced lengthier red tides, such as a
30-month event that started in 1994, the 2018
red tide gained broader public awareness thanks
to social media and an information-hungry public
that wanted to understand causes and possible
solutions−and who expected The Sunshine State
to take action.
The causes of red tides are contentious, forcing
debate about the role of climate change and
industries that contribute to red-tide-stimulating
nutrient runoff. But almost everyone is in
agreement that Florida must protect human
health, its cherished marine animals, and its
tourism-based economy.
Human health is placed at risk in two main ways.
Beachgoers exposed to toxin-laden aerosols
can experience respiratory symptoms such as
coughing, sneezing, itchy throat, or watery eyes,
and the Florida Department of Health (FDH)
advises that people with chronic respiratory
diseases avoid beaches during a red tide.1
Human health and ecological impacts
notwithstanding, the commercial and political
repercussions may have given the battle against
red tides its most potent ammunition.
At the height of the red tide in August, 40 Pinellas
County businesses claimed $128 million in lost
revenue.4 Outgoing Florida Governor Rick
Scott made millions of grant dollars available
for cleanup of dead fish,5 and within days of
taking office in January 2019 Governor Ron
DeSantis’ Executive Order created an Office of
Environmental Accountability and Transparency
within the Department of Environmental
Protection. He has called for a “chief scientist”
to oversee investigation of both causes and
mitigation strategies for red tides.
At this confluence of public health, ecological
impacts, and policy are numerous monitoring
programs relied upon by the public,
policymakers, and scientists alike. Each of these
audiences has different needs, and the three
examples that follow demonstrate how those
different interests can be served, as well as the
evolution of monitoring approaches.

Contaminated shellfish is another exposure risk,

though a well-managed one since the shellfish
industry is closely monitored by both the state
and the Food and Drug Administration (but
recreational clam-diggers beware!).

The impacts on wildlife, however, have

been severe. The Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission (FWC) tracked over
200 manatee deaths2 confirmed or suspected
to be caused by the red tide, and the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) has identified 149 dolphin “unusual
mortality events” that may be attributed to the
red tide.3

There have also been countless fish kills,

suspected bird mortalities, and sea turtle
strandings and deaths.

1
Florida Health, Red Tide Blooms 4
WTSP, Economic Impacts of Red Tide on Business in
Pinellas County Worse Than Expected
2
FWC, 2018 Preliminary Red Tide Manatee Mortalities
5
WUSF, Sarasota Tourism Agency Survey Reveals
3
NOAA Fisheries, 2018-2019 Bottlenose Dolphin
Economic Impact of Red Tide
Unusual Mortality Event

Who’s Minding the Planet? 21

 FEATURE STORY
CELL COUNT
The question on the public’s mind
is often “Is it safe to go to the
beach?” Whether the answer
is sought from the Florida
Department of Health or the
Centers for Disease Control, both
will ultimately point your browser
to the FWC’s Red Tide
Status updates.6
The FWC publishes cell counts of
Karenia brevis from over 100 sites
along Florida’s beaches and posts them
on a weekly basis (usually Fridays), or more
frequently during severe events.
There is easy-to-understand information about how
to interpret the cell counts, including a color-coded
scale that ranges from “not present” (gray, for <1000
cells/L) to “high” (red, for >1,000,000 cells/L). In
addition to their routine monitoring, FWC scientists
respond to calls from other sites where a red tide is
suspected. An easy way to follow this program is at
their Facebook page, co-maintained with the Mote
Marine Laboratory.
Red Tide Status on Facebook:
facebook.com/flhabs
The FWC’s program of collecting water samples
for cell enumeration with a microscope may seem
old-fashioned to a molecularly-biased, high-tech-
sensor-loving, post-millennial generation of scientists.
However, microscopy remains highly valuable for
a number of reasons. First, a skilled technician can
rapidly and reproducibly count K. brevis samples
(not true of all algae!), and the equipment is easily
accessible and inexpensive.
Further, there are decades of cell count data available
for comparison. Florida’s HAB Monitoring Database
is one of the longest, continually maintained datasets
of any type, and shows that red tides have been
documented in Florida as far back as 170 years. This
continuity of data has been critical for demonstrating
that red tides are not new to Florida, a sticky point
when trying to assess red tides as natural events which
at the same time can be fueled by human activity and
climate change.
6
FWC, Red Tide Current Status
7
Fluid Imaging, Microalgae Research and Industrial Cultivation
22
Red tides are a type of Harmful Algal Bloom
caused by dinoflagellates like Karenia brevis.
Sourced: National Science Foundation
The microscope is slowly
yielding to technologies that are
faster, more sensitive and less
prone to variability between
technicians. The advantages of
speed were realized years ago
when technicians starting using
Coulter counters, electronic particle
counters not originally designed for
this purpose, but which afforded not
only speed but also highly accurate and
reproducible counts, reducing subjectivity
and technician-to-technician variability.
However, the Coulter is an agnostic technology,
counting any electrically charged particle in the
sample and offering no speciation. Thus counters
were often used in conjunction with, rather than
instead of, the microscope.
Exciting new technologies offer the best of all worlds:
speed, high sensitivity, high accuracy, and speciation
(even photos!), all possible via sorting based on the
fluorescent properties of the algal cells. One of the
best examples is the FlowCam by Fluid
Imaging Technologies.7
With the FlowCam, and similar competing
technologies that are now appearing on the market,
much ado has been made about the comparability of
the counts with microscope counts, due to the desire
to maintain continuity in decades-old data sets.
However, a number of cases have shown that
reproducibility from technician to technician is even
difficult to ensure with the microscope, a realization
that has probably eased the comfort people have with
the FlowCam. The biggest
barrier to its use appears
to be expense, but the
return on investment
in technician time
and reliable results
seem to now be
appreciated.
MISSION: WATER
 FEATURE STORY

WATER QUALITY
The next level of a monitoring program would
incorporate water conditions that both promote and
respond to K. brevis growth. Water quality monitoring
potentially provides predictive capabilities as well
as data that scientists use to understand biotic and
abiotic factors involved in the formation and decline
of a red tide. This type of monitoring need not replace
cell counts, and in fact is most powerful when used in
conjunction with them.
The aims of a water quality monitoring program need
to be defined when choosing both the parameters
and the approach to measuring them (e.g. via spot
sampling or continuously-deployed multiparameter
sondes), but in almost all algae bloom cases
temperature, salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen and
chlorophyll are useful. The diagram that follows
identifies common water quality parameters and why
they might be of value for red tide monitoring.
Federal agencies, Florida’s Watershed Management
Districts and other state agencies, private research
institutions, public universities and even citizen
science groups deploy a number of technologies for
water quality monitoring, including YSI’s EXO and
legacy 6-series multiparameter sondes.
Pairing these technologies with data
loggers and telemetry, the data can be
made available for public consumption
in near-real-time, and can also be
used by researchers for
incorporation into their
own studies.

RED TIDE MONITORING

Optimal growth
Pigment in the temperatures for K. brevis
nitrogen-fixing marine are 22-28°C, though it can
cyanobacterium tolerate temperatures as
Trichodesmium, which can low as 5°C and over 30°C
provide ammonium to fuel (strain-dependent)
K. brevis growth
pH often increases with
The main photosynthetic increasing photosynthetic
TEMPERATURE
pigment in K. Brevis activity due to consumption
and a popular indicator of dissolved carbon dioxide
of population growth;
PHYCOERYTHRIN pH
measured both in situ
and via satellite
Proxy for increased
biomass, and also for
WHAT sediments and soils
CHLOROPHYLL TO TURBIDITY delivered via
runoff events
MONITOR?

The preferred nitrogen

source for K. brevis, DISSOLVED
AMMONIUM
followed by urea OXYGEN
Can increase during periods
and nitrate
of peak photosynthetic activity
SALINITY during the day, but decreases
K. brevis prefers >25 at night and can decrease
ppt salinity; freshwater precipitously if a bloom
incursions and mixing is dying
affect salinity and may
indicate runoff events

Who’s Minding the Planet? 23

 FEATURE STORY

One such program is managed by the Ocean Research

and Conservation Association, Inc., referred to as
ORCA. ORCA’s Kilroy Monitoring Network was in part
supported by funding from the State of Florida until
budget cuts in 2017, and the 501(C)(3) organization
heavily relies on donations to keep its monitoring
Research satellites like network, as well as a number of invaluable educational
Aqua gather information and volunteer programs, going strong.
about Earth's water
systems using a suite of
Anyone can access ORCA’s water quality data,
onboard instruments.
Credit: NASA including historical data for the evaluation of trends
and events at their monitoring sites.

The consumers of ORCA’s data are usually scientists or

educators, but one shouldn’t assume that the general
public doesn’t care or understand what to make of a
dissolved oxygen or a chlorophyll measurement.

Not only is public education clearly in ORCA’s mission,

but having these data onboard in the context of
ORCA’s other programs demonstrates to the public
the importance of this type of monitoring not just for
red tides, but also for conservation and protection
of natural resources. People who care about the
environment use this website and others to
self-educate about red tides.

ORCA's Monitoring Network:

bit.ly/orca-monitoring

SATELLITES

Finally, those who favor a high tech approach will

surely want to check out satellite-based scans that
detect fluorescence from chlorophyll on the surface
of the water, as well as discolored waters that are
indicative of runoff from heavy rainfall events.

These low-resolution but expansive snapshots from

NASA’s MODIS and VIIRS satellites passing overhead
provide a perspective on red tides that wasn’t
possible to obtain until this millennium.

NOAA has the most widely accessed satellite imaging

program, and−for red tides in particular−one can
subscribe to receive bulletins that are posted as often
as twice-weekly during peak season.

Red tides in the

Gulf Coast of Florida. NOAA Tides and Currents:
Credit: NASA
bit.ly/NOAAsatellite

24 MISSION: WATER
 FEATURE STORY

These images are more than cool to look at. When

integrated with cell counts, water quality, wind and
other meteorological information, the satellite data,
and wind and other meteorological data, the satellite
data form the foundation of fairly sophisticated
forecasting models for not only red tides but also
other types of algal blooms.

Forecasting is a key value of this program, and

forecast subscribers cross the public and private
sectors, scientists, and beachgoers alike. NOAA’s
Harmful Algal BloomS Observing System
(HABSOS) is an example of bringing all of
that information together for “environmental
managers, scientists, and the public.”8

The University of South Florida has a nice page that

explains these technologies and which is probably a
better site for scientists than the public.

University of South Florida:

bit.ly/usf-iris

An inconvenient limitation of satellite monitoring is
that cloud cover can obscure the satellite’s view of the
water. The satellite image (shown on the right) is from
the July 12th HAB Bulletin for the Gulf of Mexico. 9
Technically called “ensemble imagery”, 10 the dark red
coloration along the west coast is indicative of heavy
chlorophyll signals due to high concentrations of
algae. The gray shading seen within the rectangle is
where “Recent ensemble imagery (MODIS Aqua, 7/10)
is obscured by clouds along the coast from Manatee
to southern Sarasota counties, preventing analysis of
that region.”9
It is during these periods of high cloud obfuscation
that it becomes apparent why the pairing of the
satellite imagery with the cell count information is
highly valuable. The cell counts must be relied upon
for filling in the gaps created by the cloud cover.
K. brevis Cell Concentrations Jul 02 - Jul 10, 2018
Credit: FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute and NASA
But for the beachgoer who wants to know where to
swim in the near term, the cell counts and postings
from public health officials are more valuable.
As NOAA continues to accumulate years’ worth
of HAB bulletins and forecasts, while more local
organizations compile water quality and cell count
data along the shores, these data stores−and rapidly
evolving "big data" computing approaches−will
support more sophisticated modeling and forecasting.
Thus from old to new, and cells to satellites, each of
these technologies has a role to play in the ongoing
battle with red tides.
LEARN MORE:

Of course cell counts can’t cover the wide

geographical range that the satellites can, and that
Dr. Smith's Top 5 HAB Monitoring
information paired with the wind and current data, is Questions: bit.ly/top5hab
important for understanding what may yet be coming
to the shores of Florida (the forecasting value).
STORY SURVEY:
Another interesting thing to note is that sometimes
the “hotspots” with the satellite imagery are speckled Tell us how you felt about this
with green dots (meaning no Karenia is present in
story: YSI.com/MW-Survey
the cell count samples). This demonstrates another
limitation of the satellite imagery: resolution. The
spatial resolution for the satellite imagery is low, yet 8
NOAA, Harmful Algal BloomS Observing System
still highly valuable for understanding 9
NOAA, Gulf of Mexico Harmful Algal Bloom Bulletin – July 12, 2018
system-level patterns. 10
NOAA, Gulf of Mexico Harmful Algal Bloom Bulletin Guide

Who’s Minding the Planet? 25

 HAB INFOGRAPHIC

FLORIDA'S
OCT
2017 FEB9
201

BLUES
RED TIDES caught a lot of attention in 2018, but they are nothing new to Florida where blooms have been
documented as far back as 1844. As nutrient runoff and climate change continue on their current course,
we can expect to see an increase in the prevalence and intensity of red tide blooms.

BLOOMS ON BOTH COASTS

While most of the Florida red tides form on the
GULF COAST, the 2018 red tide was the 8th
time red tides have been reported on the EAST
COAST. This is due to a LOOP CURRENT that
LOOP
travels up into the GULF OF MEXICO and out CURRENT
through the STRAITS OF FLORIDA.1

OCT
2017 FEB9
201

K. brevis Concentrations
This bloom started in OCTOBER 2017 (cells/L) October 1-31, 2018 2
and continued through FEBRUARY 2019,
LOW (>10,000-100,000)
making it the 5th longest recorded
MEDIUM (>100,000-1,000,000)
red tide.
HIGH (>1,000,000)
STRAITS
OF FLORIDA

LONGEST DOCUMENTED RED TIDES 1946-1947 11 months

Based on continual observations of over
1959-1960 12 months
100,000 cells/L of Karenia brevis.1
OCT 2017-2019 16 months
2017 FEB9
201 2004-2006 17 months

1953-1955 18 months

2002-2004 21 months

1994-1997 30 months

26 MISSION: WATER
 HAB INFOGRAPHIC

WHAT CAUSES A RED TIDE? 2018 IMPACTS ON

Red tides along the Gulf Coast of Florida are typically MARINE LIFE
caused by a dinoflagellate called KARENIA brevis which K. brevis produces a harmful neurotoxin
prefers warm water with high salinity. called BREVETOXIN which can kill wildlife
and be harmful to humans.

24-45 ppt 22-28°C Iron, Phosphorus,

Nitrogen
224
MANATEE DEATHS 3

K. brevis will continue to grow and spread in open

oceans and will move closer to shore depending on
nutrient availability and tidal activity. Once the bloom is
inshore, nutrients are available in higher amounts which
can extend the duration of bloom events. At some point
the bloom will die off, contributing to hypoxia.

LIFE CYCLE OF K. BREVIS

589
SEA TURTLES KILLED,
INJURED, or SICK 4

VEGETATIVE
CELLS

MEIOTIC
DIVISION

MIOTIC
DIVISION

CELL from

149
GAMETES germinated
CYST

DOLPHIN UNUSUAL
MORTALITY EVENTS 5
GAMETES
combine to form
ZYGOTES that
become CYSTS CYST

Sources

1 Florida Sea Grant, Understanding Florida's Red Tide

2 FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
3 Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 2018 Preliminary Red Tide Manatee Mortalities, Jan 01 - December 31
4 Florida Fish and WIldlife Conservation Commission, January Red Tide Status Report
5 NOAA, 2018-2019 Bottlenose Dolphin Unusual Mortality Event Southwest Florida

Who’s Minding the Planet? 27

 INTERNATIONAL WATERS

LAKE TAIHU
Data-Driven Decisions Improve Lake Health
Written by DANIEL KELLY,
CHUN LI ZHENG and NANCY LIU 囍

Maintaining a network of 70
buoys requires a hands-on
approach to field work.

28 MISSION: WATER

WUXI
无锡市
SUZHOU
苏州市
LAKE
TAIHU
太湖
Lake Taihu is China’s third-largest freshwater lake.
Boasting an area of 2,251 square kilometers
(869 square miles), it’s connected to numerous
rivers and streams that support millions of
people. The lake’s hyper-eutrophic, shallow
waters average just more than 2 meters (6 feet)
in depth. They warm and mix easily, providing
an ideal setting for nutrients to feed explosive
growths of algae, which often lead to low-
oxygen conditions and unpleasant odors.
Overwhelming algal blooms threatened
aquatic life and cut off drinking water for
millions of nearby residents in the early 2000s.
This prompted local authorities to take action
by forming the Taihu Basin Water Resource
Monitoring Capacity Building Project
and collecting data.
The extensive monitoring network started with
construction of gaging stations that allowed
regulators to track inflows to Lake Taihu’s basin,
important for assessing levels of nutrients that
wash into the lake from surrounding farmland
and urban areas.
Who’s Minding the Planet?
INTERNATIONAL WATERS
China JIANGSU
PROVINCE
中国 江苏
Green markers represent networked
hydromet and water quality buoys
deployed throughout Lake Taihu.
Understanding the potential for nutrient inflows
has improved early warning capabilities and
enabled more accurate water quality forecasts.
The gaging stations are joined by a network of 70
buoys bearing advanced monitoring technology,
including multiparameter sondes from YSI, a Xylem
brand. The integrated buoy systems capture data
around the clock, spotting changes in blue-green
algae levels, especially near drinking water intakes.
Having collected data for years now, scientists
can spot trends and make quick decisions, even in
the face of typhoons and other extreme weather
patterns that send massive amounts of nutrient-rich
runoff into the lake.
With complementary tools like videos of algae
blooms, boat patrols, and measurements taken
from shore, water quality managers have become
better able to manage the aquatic health of
Lake Taihu. This new era of monitoring and
management started with the selection of the right
instrumentation and the right parameters on their
monitoring platform.
29
 INTERNATIONAL WATERS

Which water quality parameters matter

for Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) events?
Growth-stimulating nutrients are a cause of harmful
algal blooms and thus an obvious thing to monitor for,
but certain types of organic matter often accompany
those nutrients and can be valuable surrogates to
monitor as well.

Salinity is interesting particularly in coastal

environments, where freshwater incursions might
introduce algae into a system, at the same time
reducing salinity.

Most algae, such as the red tide-former Karenia

brevis, have specific salinity ranges at which they can
grow. The dynamics of a system and objectives of a
monitoring program will dictate whether these water
quality parameters will be valuable.

In almost all scenarios, however, certain water quality

parameters are a must-have: namely algal pigments,
pH, DO, and temperature. This has proven to be true
for the expansive Lake Taihu monitoring network.

Understanding HAB events is key to the monitoring program.

Temperature Algal Pigments

Warming waters in Lake Taihu, due
to climate change, seasonal shifts,
or thermal pollution, favor the
proliferation of most blue-green
algae that form HABs.
Like most life forms, algae have a
preference for specific temperature
ranges. While it affects algal growth,
temperature isn’t affected by algae, distinguishing it
from pigments, DO, and pH.
One shouldn’t fall for the notion that an HAB can’t
occur in cool waters. Some species of algae are
more prone to bloom in springtime, when waters
are slightly cooler (such as Anabaena in North
America), while others favor summer waters (such
as Microcystis, virtually anywhere it is found!). There
have even been algae blooms under ice (such as
some species of Planktothrix).
As a general rule, HABs have a predictable “season”
in most source waters, and this is true for Lake Taihu
where Microcystis often dominates. Changes in
temperature are good indicators that one should be
on alert for.
Algae have unique pigments that
they use for photosynthesis, the
process of using sunlight and
carbon dioxide to grow. All
algae, from blue-green algae
to red-tide algae to seaweed,
use the pigment chlorophyll for
photosynthesis.
Lake Taihu's blue-green algae have additional
pigments that are useful to monitor and help
distinguish the types of algae that are less likely to be
toxic. The pigment phycocyanin is a unique indicator
of blue-green algal growth in freshwater systems, and
a similar pigment called phycoerythrin is an indicator
of blue-green algal growth in marine systems.
Using in-situ sensors for algal pigments can reduce
time and expense required for manually collecting
water samples, whether those samples are used
for pigment extractions, cell counting and algae
speciation, or toxin analyses. Sensors also can help
managers to identify when to apply treatments, saving
time and money. While clearly powerful technology,
algae pigment sensors of any type are most valuable
when paired with DO, pH, and temperature.

30 MISSION: WATER

Acidity or Alkalinity (pH)
Many water managers observe
predictable pH patterns when
watching for HABs. Like DO,
pH responds to the growth
of algae, typically increasing
with increased algal growth.
Also, as with DO, pH's response
to algal growth is a balance
between photosynthesis—which
consumes dissolved carbon dioxide—and
respiration—which generates carbon dioxide. While
algae are the main consumers of carbon dioxide in
a system, they and all the other organisms respire,
generating CO2.
As algae consume CO2, less of the gas dissolves into
the water as carbonic acid. With less of this acidic
form in the water, the pH will increase during periods
of high algal growth, especially during daylight hours.
Thus, pH can be a highly useful indicator of both the
rise and decline of an algal bloom in Lake Taihu. It can
even reach pH 9 or 10 during severe blooms.
Lake Taihu’s pH levels have also been shown to be
influenced by CO2-generating automobile emissions
that facilitated higher introductions of CO2 into the
water from the atmosphere. This acidification effect
can counter the acid-reducing effect that high-algal
growth might have.
This dynamic demonstrates that general water quality
parameters, and what they mean for the purpose
of HAB monitoring, are very context-specific and
a system-level understanding is important before
conclusions are drawn regarding the stages of an
algal bloom. It is also the reason that monitoring
multiple parameters is highly valuable.
Who’s Minding the Planet?
INTERNATIONAL WATERS
Dissolved Oxygen
“Normal” concentrations of DO
vary widely, and are affected by
temperature, barometric pressure,
and salinity. As temperatures
increase, DO decreases;
as pressure decreases, DO
decreases; as salinity increases,
oxygen solubility decreases. In
general, fish require over 5 mg of
oxygen per liter of water to breathe, and
concentrations below that will place most aquatic live
under significant stress.
Algae have interesting effects on DO in Lake Taihu.
Oxygen is a product of photosynthesis, and in
a balanced diurnal cycle of photosynthesis and
respiration, algae generate and consume oxygen.
Meanwhile, other organisms continuously consume
oxygen. When algae bloom in Lake Taihu, an
imbalance occurs.
During the early and peak growth phases of an
HAB, DO can increase significantly in the vicinity
of the bloom due to exceedingly high daytime
photosynthetic activity. More oxygen is generated
than can be consumed by either algae or other
organisms, and sensors may indicate that the water is
super-saturated with oxygen.
As the bloom fades and dies, photosynthetic activity
declines, and further the expired algae become
food for bacteria and other things that consume
oxygen. The overall effect is that DO levels can
drop precipitously. Such anoxic conditions can be
dangerous for other life in the water, and is often the
root cause of fish kills that occur in the wake of
a HAB.
Monitoring urban development is
equally as important as protecting
the historical aspect of Lake Taihu.
This buoy is located next to the
"Star of Lake Tai" one of the world's
largest ferris wheels.
31
 INTERNATIONAL WATERS

Turning the Tides

It takes a holistic view of water quality, flow, and
discharge to understand the complex dynamics of
aquatic environments, especially as they relate to
harmful algal blooms. With an expansive network
of instrumentation at their disposal, environmental
officials have vastly improved the health of Lake Taihu
since the harmful algal blooms of the early 2000s.

The Taihu Basin Water Resources Monitoring

Capacity Building Project and other related
government actions, such as regulation of industrial
discharges, have led to improved conditions not only
for the Lake but also for the people who live around it.

Increased awareness of environmental issues in China—

and an international spotlight on Lake Taihu in recent
decades—have likewise shifted the country’s view
toward better management for Lake Taihu, but there’s
still more work to do.

And it all starts with the data. Collaboration and precision are
essential elements of creating
a valuable and productive
monitoring system.

Deploying an environmental buoy

may seem challenging, but a little
teamwork is all that's required.

STORY SURVEY:

Tell us how you felt about this

story: YSI.com/MW-Survey

32 MISSION: WATER
 Industry-leading
optical dissolved
oxygen technology
from the brand
you trust.
© 2019 Xylem Inc.

stands alone
• +1 937.767.7241 Be the envy of your co-workers...
• 800.765.4974 (US) Enter to win a FREE ProSolo Optical DO/BOD System:

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 INTERNATIONAL WATERS

PIPELINE PROJECT DELIVERS

SCIENCE WITH ENERGY In partnership with:

Written by STEVE WERBLOW

34 MISSION: WATER

Building the Nord Stream 2 pipeline across
the Baltic Sea is no small project.
Of course, it's a challenge to lay approximately
1,230 kilometers (764 miles) of 48-inch (1.2-meter)
twin pipeline across Europe's storm-tossed northern
waters, a process that began in the middle of 2018.
There's the logistical task of coordinating the
$8-billion capital investment and the hundreds of
companies involved in the construction, and the
political challenge of balancing the demands of the
five countries whose borders will be crossed by
the pipeline.
Who’s Minding the Planet?
INTERNATIONAL WATERS
Pioneering Spirit installs pipeline
in Swedish waters.
Pioneering Spirit, the world's largest heavy lift
and pipelay vessel, is shown here at work in the
Swedish Exclusive Economic Zone. The smaller
ship to the left is among the fleet of supply
vessels that make deliveries to the floating
factory on a round-the-clock schedule.
Pioneering Spirit Stats
• Length: 382 meters
• Width: 124 meters
• Displacement: 1,000,000 tonnes
• Transit speed: 14 knots
• Installed power: 8 diesel generators
• Accommodation: 571 people
February 26th, 2019
© Nord Stream 2 / Axel Schmidt
Then there is the intense environmental scrutiny as
every 12-meter (39-foot) segment is welded to the
pipeline and lowered into the sensitive environment
beneath the waves.
In short, the world is watching the Nord Stream 2
project. Watching and listening. And as the pipeline
construction team cruises through the Gulf of
Finland laying three kilometers (1.9 miles) of pipeline
per day, the extensive water monitoring system
developed by Finland's Luode Consulting is the
eyes and ears for the pipeline company, European
regulators, and scientists across the globe.
35
 INTERNATIONAL WATERS

Finland

The Pipeline at a Glance

Russia
Estonia

Sweden

km
30
1,2
Latvia

Lithuania
Baltic Sea
Nord Stream 2 Route
Nord Stream Route
Russia Landfall

For illustration only.

Germany Poland © Nord Stream 2

Carefully Routed
In 1998, the Russian government's gas company,
Gazprom, and Finland-based energy company
Fortum charted the initial course of the current
pipeline in operation, simply called Nord Stream.
At the time, engineers and scientists screened 2,500
km2 (965 mi2) of possible routes to connect the
gas fields of Russia to consumers in Europe. They
determined that the best route cut through the
Baltic Sea and Gulf of Finland.
The underwater plan also allowed the pipeline
company to avoid laying pipe across villages, cities,
homes, fields and cultural heritage sites.
But the Nord Stream route, which also defined a path
for the current Nord Stream 2 project that recently
began construction, runs close to protected sites set
aside for seal habitat. It also crosses through
old minefields.

The underwater approach is less costly than building
onshore, because the speed of construction is
quicker. Underwater pipelines can also be operated
at much higher pressure than terrestrial ones—as
much as 220 bar (224 kilogram/cm 2 or 3,191 psi)—
which allows the system to operate with no need for
interim compression, lowering greenhouse
gas emissions.
Those special considerations, along with more
typical pressure to minimize harm to water quality
from construction, mean the Nord Stream 2 water
monitoring program is held to an extremely
high standard.

36 MISSION: WATER

Huge Pipeline, Huge Logistics
Laying approximately 1,230 kilometers (764 miles)
of a twin pipeline is a huge feat: the materials alone
weigh 4.7 million metric tons. But as the European
Union shifts its energy consumption toward natural
gas to replace other non-renewable fuels—and to
bridge the trough when solar and wind energy is
lagging—the need to fill Europe's gas deficit has
made the project worth the effort.
Nord Stream 2 is constructing a pipeline across
the Baltic Sea to connect the gas fields of northern
Russia—home to about 15 percent of the world's gas
reserves—to European buyers. To build the project,
the pipeline company has created a green logistics
concept around four hubs that make the supply
chain as short as possible.
According to the company, €150 million ($172
million) worth of supplies for the pipeline have been
sourced in the Baltic Sea region, and more than 90
percent of the supplies have been transported by
ship or rail to minimize greenhouse gas emissions.
Pipe joints are manufactured in Germany and Russia
in 12-meter lengths and delivered to logistics
centers in Kotka, Finland, and Mukran, Germany, to
be coated with concrete, which doubles their weight
from 12 metric tons to 24 metric tons.
Pre-Pipelaying Survey
A pre-lay survey performed before pipeline
installation confirms that no significant
changes have occurred along the route since
the previous survey.
ROV
A remotely operated vehicle
(ROV) fitted with sensors and
instruments including cameras The stinger provides support
transmits information from the
seabed to the survey vessel.
progressively lowered to its
designated place on the seabed.
Who’s Minding the Planet?
INTERNATIONAL WATERS
About half of the coated pipes are then transported to
Karlshamn, Sweden, and Hanko, Finland, so they are
staged along the construction route.
From the hubs, about 300 coated pipes are delivered
daily to the pipelay vessels, where sections are
welded one by one to the pipeline and laid on the
seabed. By late 2019, Nord Stream 2 will begin
delivering gas for electrical plants and home heating
to customers in Belgium, the Czech Republic,
Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, the
United Kingdom and other countries.
Pipe Cross-Section
Concrete coating
(60-100 mm)
Corrosion protection
(4.2 mm)
Pipe steel
(27−41 mm)
Antifriction
Coating
Pipe Carrier Vessel
Pipes weighing up to 24 tons each
are shipped to the pipelay vessel from
a number of logistics hubs strategically
located along the route.
Post-Lay Survey
As it touches down on the seabed,
the pipeline is monitored to ensure
that it is correctly positioned.
S-Curve
As the pipeline is lowered to the
seabed, it forms an “S” shape, which
prevents damage during installation.
Stinger
to the pipeline as it is
ROV
© Nord Stream 2
37
 INTERNATIONAL WATERS

Regulation & Policy

"Environmental monitoring will take
place before construction, during
specific construction activities and
after the pipeline is completed,"
explains Tore Granskog, permitting
manager, Finland, for Nord Stream 2.

"The monitoring program

includes 12 receptors that collect
information about abiotic, biotic and
socioeconomic parameters across
the five countries—Russia, Finland, Reducing the environmental impacts on marine life,
Sweden, Denmark and Germany— like this pair of Baltic Gray Seals, is a top priority of the project.
whose waters the pipeline
passes through."

Antti Lindfors of Luode Consulting

notes that regulations and
monitoring protocols have evolved
since the first Nord Stream pipeline
was laid through the Baltic between
2010 and 2012.

For example, Finland requires Nord

Stream 2 to monitor underwater
noise during the clearance of
munitions, naval mines and
unexploded aerial bombs left
beneath the sea after decades of
conflict in the 20th century, and
during the construction of rock
berms to support the pipe where it
crosses the highly uneven sea bed.

Scientists and policymakers were Technicians prepare a hydrophone to measure noise emissions
especially concerned about the during munitions clearance. © Nord Stream 2 / Axel Schmidt
effects of underwater noise from
munitions clearance on the health
and behavior of seals and porpoises.

"The monitoring program
has been upgraded to meet
the latest standards, and
[specifically] underwater noise
monitoring is added into
the program," Lindfors says.
"The main concern is the seal
populations in the Baltic Sea.
As the Baltic Sea is still heavily
populated by munitions, old
sea mines and bombs from
World War I and World War II,
special attention was needed to
ensure the safe installation and
operation of the pipelines, which
necessitated the clearance All countries along the Baltic Sea route benefit from the controlled removal or
of munitions from the detonation of World War I & II naval mines. © Nord Stream 2 / Axel Schmidt
installation corridor."

38 MISSION: WATER
 INTERNATIONAL WATERS

A Minefield
Building the massive Nord Stream and Nord Stream 2
gas pipelines through the Baltic Sea has often proven
to be fraught with minefields. Not just political ones.
Real ones.
During World Wars I and II and the Cold War that
followed, opposing navies jostled for advantage in
the Baltic. Harbors and channels were strewn with
mines—estimates range from 80,000 to 150,000 of
them, mainly in the Gulf of Finland—and littered with
air-dropped bombs and depth charges. After the
world wars, vast stockpiles of artillery shells and other
ordnance were also dumped at sea.
To safely build the Nord Stream and Nord Stream
2 pipelines, explosives experts had to clear mines
along the route. For the vast majority, relocation
and recovery were not considered viable options, so
in-situ clearance—detonation on the seabed—was
employed. Some of the mines have charges as
large as 300 kilograms (660 pounds), and their
detonation could have significant impact on
wildlife. To minimize the damage to habitat
and marine life, mine clearance has come
a long way since the old days of cutting
anchor lines and shooting the bobbing
explosives from minesweeper ships.
Nord Stream 2 performed detailed
environmental assessments of the
potential impact of munition clearance
to establish mitigation measures to
minimize the risk of permanent hearing
damage to wildlife. Along the Nord
Stream 2 route in the Gulf of Finland,
ordnance experts used a remotely
operated vehicle to identify mines and
attach small explosive charges to them.
"In addition to noise monitoring underwater, we also
monitor water quality in those regions because they
are so sensitive—like underwater reefs where we have
sensitive areas of vegetation and fish are laying eggs,"
says Antti Lindfors of Luode Consulting.
Hydrophones miles away from the blasts provide
insight on sound waves in the water, particularly
around seal reserves in Finland and Estonia.
The thorough monitoring protocol has demonstrated
that the bubble curtains are highly effective at
reducing noise from the explosions, and the uneven
topography of the sea floor helps dampen noise and
sediment disturbances, says Lindfors.
"The effects are smaller in size, and in many areas, we
cannot see impacts of elevated turbidity levels higher
than background variations," he notes. "The areas of
dangerous noise are smaller than predicted in the
Environmental Impact Assessment."
Lindfors acknowledges that the ordnance clearing
by the pipeline company does not address all the
legacy mine risks, but in a region where a mine anchor
line is occasionally severed by drifting ice, and in an
area of commercial fishing, every mine that is out of
commission makes the sea's busy traffic and fishing
areas safer.
"The mine clearance operation benefits the whole
Baltic Sea," he says.

Another vessel's crew laid special

hoses around most of the mines to be
cleared and pumped high-pressure air
to create a curtain of bubbles that
absorbed most of the concussive
wave energy caused by the
explosion. As with every other
aspect of construction, Luode
Consulting of Finland
was on-hand with its
monitoring equipment
to ensure the
effectiveness of the
mitigation measures
to protect wildlife. A technician inspects a find during munitions clearance
operations. Nord Stream 2 conducted extensive surveys along
the pipeline route to avoid unexploded ordnance (UXO)—mines,
bombs and dumped munitions—whenever possible.
© Nord Stream 2 / Axel Schmidt

Who’s Minding the Planet? 39

 INTERNATIONAL WATERS

Extensive Network

Lindfors and his colleagues have positioned more "The main idea is you have 'multi-talented' sondes
than 50 YSI EXO multiparameter sondes in 15 to 17 that all have the same body and the same software to
sites along the pipeline route to continually measure work with," Lindfors notes. "That's the biggest benefit,
turbidity, oxygen, temperature and salinity. The and we are able to do the calibrations easily, too."
instruments were anchored on the the sea floor, 40 to
90 meters (130 to 295 feet) beneath the surface, to
keep them out of the way of traffic.

"The Baltic Sea is used very heavily for commercial
EXO Sonde Platform
shipping," Lindfors notes. "We do everything Key features
submerged so people don't know they are there. • Software assisted calibration
From our point of view, it is safer." • On-board quality control system

• Welded titanium parts & sensor housing
Acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs) provide
data on currents throughout the water column, and • Biofouling protection for harsh environments
grab samples enable the Luode crew to analyze
sediments and benthic fauna. To meet the demands of
the sound monitoring protocol, the team deploys
self-logging hydrophones.

Lindfors and his partners have long experience with
YSI instruments, dating back to their academic studies
in the 1990s. The evolution of multiparameter sondes
has been a great benefit to projects like these,
he says.

EXO sondes are carefully linked together for easy deployment, while
avoiding snags and tangles. Supported by an array of flotation buoys, this
chain of sensors will provide water quality data on a range of parameters
critical to the success of Nord Stream 2. © Antti Lindfors / Luode

40 MISSION: WATER
 INTERNATIONAL WATERS

Challenging Environment
Calibrating the sensors for the EXO sondes
may be easy, but the life of an instrument in the
Baltic sea is anything but.
"The Baltic Sea is a brackish water basin
with large vertical and horizontal gradients,"
Lindfors explains. "Therefore, a selected
monitoring device must be able to handle big
temperature and salinity variations. In addition,
a long ice-covered period brings challenges
to monitoring. Systems need to run several
months without maintenance, and the presence
of drifting ice makes it impossible to use any
telemetry systems. Therefore, monitoring is
based on stand-alone sensors."
Lindfors and his team pull each EXO to the
surface approximately every three months—the
gap widens to four or five months when the
sea is frozen over. During the quarterly visits,
they download logged data and change out
instruments for replacements calibrated in the
lab and equipped with fresh batteries.
For more on the CastAway:
SonTek.com/castaway-ctd
At each site, they profile conductivity, temperature
and salinity of the water column with two
instruments, including a SonTek CastAway CTD, a
baseball-sized instrument that can be quickly cast
to the bottom and retrieved with a simple reel.
The maintenance visits also provide a chance for
the group to collect and analyze water samples for
laboratory-based verifications.
Even after enduring Baltic winters, during which
water temperatures can fall to -0.2° or -0.3°
Celsius (31.4 Fahrenheit), the EXO sondes have a
remarkable track record for delivering extensive
logs of water quality data for scientists.
CASTAWAY®-CTD
Key features
• Highly accurate sensors
• Salinity accuracy: 0.1 PSU
• Temperature accuracy: 0.05°C
• Wireless data transfer
• Integrated GPS
• Compact size

The right tool for the job.

Like you, our engineers and scientists have spent years in
the field, developing and using the products we design.

That passion has culminated in the EXO Platform, a smart

and field-ready water monitoring system. Offering a wide
range of capabilities to those dedicated to measuring
natural aquatic environments such as oceans, estuaries,
rivers, lakes and ground water.

For more on the EXO Platform:

YSI.com/EXO

Who’s Minding the Planet? 41

 INTERNATIONAL WATERS

Less Impact
Data on the effects of the first Nord
Stream pipeline project indicated that
munitions clearance and construction
operations have had less impact
than environmental impact models
suggested, notes Granskog of Nord
Stream 2. He says years of data from
the previous effort "showed that the
impacts were minor, short-term
and local."

Granskog adds that because of the

sensitive environment—both physical
and political—surrounding the
pipeline project, research must be
top-notch.
Nord Stream 2 crew members aboard the Solitaire thoroughly clean and prepare the ends
"In order to understand the potential of each pipe before welding to ensure a tight seal. © Nord Stream 2 / Thomas Eugster
impacts of construction activities on
the environment, it is of paramount
importance that the data delivered
are accurate both in space and time,"
he says.

"Correlation between the monitoring

data and construction activities—
of which we also have accurate
information—allows the environmental
experts to understand the potential
connections between the construction
activities and the monitored
environmental parameter."

The pipeline can be seen from above as it is lowered from pipelay vessel Audacia's stinger
and installed on the Baltic seafloor in German waters. © Nord Stream 2 / Axel Schmidt

Dynamically positioned pipelay vessel Pioneering Spirit at work in the

Gulf of Finland in late December 2018. © Nord Stream 2 / Axel Schmidt

42 MISSION: WATER

Advancing Science, History
The high quality of the Nord Stream data, which the
pipeline company made freely available for research,
has proved to be a benefit to the scientific community,
and Granskog says plans call for data from the Nord
Stream 2 project to also be shared with researchers.
After all, few projects afford scientists the opportunity
to deploy 50 continuous, multi-parameter sondes in
a study area, let alone back them up with extensive
sea floor surveys and other data gathering tools. The
scale and scope of the Nord Stream and Nord Stream
2 monitoring programs have turned out to be great
not only for scrutinizing the pipeline project, but also
for providing a rich trove of data on water quality in
the Baltic.
That has been especially helpful in understanding
oxygen dynamics in the hypoxia-prone Gulf of Finland
system, Lindfors notes.
"As the Baltic Sea is very sheltered, we have limited
access to the Atlantic Ocean via the shallow North
Sea," he explains. "In order to get oxygen into the
Gulf of Finland, we are dependent on saltwater
pulses—a huge amount of Atlantic water entering
the Baltic."
Just a couple of times per decade, all the factors
align to create a pulse, Lindfors says. Water levels in
the Baltic must be down, a zone of low atmospheric
pressure has to form over the Gulf of Finland, and
winds need to be oriented in the right direction. Only
then can a massive flow of high-oxygen, high-salinity
Atlantic water push into the isolated gulf.
ROVs are attached to the real time
survey vessel by an electrical and
fibre-optic cable that allows the crew to
navigate close to the seabed.
The cable transports the data and
images collected by the ROV along
the sea floor back to the vessel, where
technicians can review it in real time.
© Nord Stream 2 / Axel Schmidt
LEARN MORE:
For more on the Nord Stream 2
project, visit: nord-stream2.com
Who’s Minding the Planet?
INTERNATIONAL WATERS
Luode's network picked up a pulse during the baseline
monitoring phase of the Nord Stream 2 project and was
able to document the movement of the oxygenated
water almost minute by minute, providing a detailed
account of this remarkable phenomenon.
The pipeline company's detailed surveys of 55,000
linear kilometers (34,000 miles) of sea floor along the
construction route—conducted with state-of-the-art
towed-array sonar and remotely operated vehicles
launched from large research vessels that most nautical
historians could only dream of—have also contributed to
the understanding of the history of the Baltic region.
"We found a number of previously unknown cultural
heritage objects such as an 18th century merchantman
and a late-18th/early-19th century cannon barge
located in the Finnish Exclusive Economic Zone," says
Granskog. "Two inspected World War II targets—a Havoc
bomber and the anti-submarine net installation—were
also listed of historical interest."
Europe is hungry for natural gas, and the Nord Stream
and Nord Stream 2 pipelines are creating an important
conduit for new supplies. But through their extensive
water quality monitoring programs, the projects are also
delivering something more—deeper understanding of
a challenging and fragile environment, and a thorough
documentation of the real-world impacts of
undersea construction.
STORY SURVEY:
Tell us how you felt about this
story: YSI.com/MW-Survey
43
 XYLEM SPOTLIGHT

Employee Spotlight

RON
METZGER
Senior R&D
Manager,
Mechanical
Engineering
Experience:
14 Years with
YSI, a Xylem Brand

Alma Mater:
University of Cincinnati, B.S.
Mechanical Engineering
Technology

About Ron:
As a leader on our research
& development team, Ron is
responsible for creating the
instrumentation of the future,
today, all while mentoring the
engineers of tomorrow.

He works closely with

material science, and was a
key designer of the EXO
Sonde platform from
YSI, a Xylem Brand.

Ron Metzger shows off YSI's radio emission

testing chamber, used to ensure instruments
meet global communication standards.
Photos: Patrick Beatty
44 MISSION: WATER
v
Ron, how did you get your start in
mechanical engineering?
Metzger: Realistically, I started in high school
with courses in technical design and drafting. I
took some of those and it seemed to fit me well.
Prior to that, I was one of the people in the world
cursed with the ability to fix things…
and I enjoyed doing it.
As a kid, my friends and I always rode bikes. Of
course, they all would break down, and no one
had the money needed to fix them. So I quickly
became the neighborhood mechanic because
I had an inherent understanding of how things
work. From there, it just morphed into a talent I
wanted to pursue as a career.
What excites you about engineering?
What do you get passionate about?
Metzger: At the end of the day, it’s making
something that didn't exist before, solving
problems that are seemingly impossible to solve.
Years ago, I received a fortune cookie with the
message, “The greatest achievement is doing
what someone said can’t be done.” To this day,
that fortune is pinned to my wall at work as a
constant reminder of why I’m here.
Who’s Minding the Planet?
XYLEM SPOTLIGHT
Ron Metzger retrieving an EXO sonde from
long-term deployment at YSI's Hydro-Met station.
I enjoy being on the cutting edge and pushing our
industry forward, doing things that haven't been
done before, inventing something, and building it
from the ground up.
How did your career bring you to YSI,
bridging your passion of engineering
with the environment?
Metzger: It was a shorter commute than my
previous job. That's actually one of the reasons.
(Laughter) But no, the biggest reason I joined
the YSI team was the environmental focus of the
company. I always joke with people that my job is
to be a professional mountain biker/kayaker/trail
maintenance manager, but it doesn't pay well so I
have to do engineering to support my family.
I loved the idea that my job would help support the
outdoors and protect the environment. That wasn’t
the case in my prior role in the petrochemical field.
I couldn’t relate to what I was doing each day on a
human level. It was a no-brainer to join a company
that made water quality equipment. For someone
who enjoys kayaking down clean rivers, the two tie
in really well together.
Coming to work for a company with the mindset
of Who's Minding the Planet?–as someone
who was already an avid outdoors person and
conservationist—was an opportunity of a lifetime
that I just couldn’t pass up.
45
 XYLEM SPOTLIGHT

What advice would you give people

interested in a career in engineering?

Metzger: I’d warn them to run and scream in the other

direction! (Laughter)

I kid. I kid. My sage-like advice would be to make sure

you're doing what you want to do, not what others
want you to do with your career. Quite a few of the
students I went to school with became engineers
on paper but lacked an engineering mindset. They
ended up working in an unrelated field and half their
education was scrapped because it wasn’t something
they really wanted to do with their lives.

Tuition isn’t something to joke about these days,

so make sure you focus on fields you’re actually
interested in. I’d say if you're not inherently interested
in solving other people's problems, fixing things, or
inventing the next best thing, this may not be your
calling in life. And if it's not your calling, you won’t Ron regularly participates in
enjoy what you’re doing each day. Watermark events. Pictured
here, in August of 2018,
he kayaked down the Little
Again, it goes back to the age-old adage, “Do what Miami River surveying for
you like to do, and find a way to turn it into a career.” water quality.

Can you speak to the collaboration between

engineering and marketing to build products It took 30 years to finally get a cup holder in a car!
that customers love? 30 years! (Laughter)

Metzger: Great instruments are built from a strong
partnership between our engineers and commercial
leaders at YSI. [Marketing] provides the blueprint for
what we can develop to solve our customers’ biggest
problems, so they need to be deeply connected with
the environmental industry to fill that role in new
product development.
Luckily for us, our team has decades of experience
working with customers from around the world, so
we have our thumb on the pulse of the environmental
community. We don’t stop there though; we validate
our assumptions with third-party research to ensure
we’re building sensors and instrumentation that’s
meaningful to water quality professionals in the field.
Sometimes product development can feel like playing
a game of telephone, where customer requests can
become distorted after funneling through several
people to reach the engineering team. We avoid this
confusion by immersing our engineering team in the
field where possible. We’ve found that dealing with
customer applications directly helps us design more
streamlined solutions for field instrumentation.
Engineers were so far removed from actual drivers that
it became a barrier to designing even basic features
that buyers demanded. That’s an extreme example, but
creating successful instruments requires us to be well
aligned with our customers.
Let's shift gears and discuss your involvement
with Watermark. What inspired you to get
involved in the volunteer program?
Metzger: Getting involved with Watermark (Xylem’s
philanthropic arm) was a natural extension of the
volunteer work I’ve done for years. Collaborating with
grassroots non-profits to support environmentalism
and conservation efforts fits naturally into what we do
as a company.
I was excited to see Xylem not only offer, but
incentivize our employees to volunteer their time to
better the world and communities around them, so I
took advantage of it. Now I’m cleaning up rivers and
streams around our facility in Yellow Springs, Ohio, and
educating kids on the importance of water quality.

46 MISSION: WATER
 XYLEM SPOTLIGHT

Students react to Ron's offer to inhale 'biofouling' from a bag. Ron was on hand in late 2018 when the Ohio EPA visited the YSI
Biofouling is commonly encountered in marine environments. offices. Pictured here reviewing field data with policy makers.

Can you speak to how Xylem promotes What’s your advice for people looking to start
Watermark and how it reinforces the a volunteer organization to do some of these
importance of community engagement? same activities?

Metzger: Watermark was initially a global-oriented Metzger: Every little bit helps. It
program where Xylem partnered with a number of really does. When I go biking, I
non-profit organizations to tackle water challenges in always end up coming back from
developing countries. And we still do that today. But it my ride with a backpack full of
didn’t take long to recognize that the program could garbage; little bits and pieces I've
have exponentially more reach if employees were also picked up in the woods. When I
motivated to make a difference in their own back yard. go on kayaking trips, at the end
of it I’ve got empty bottles and
I wasn’t involved with Watermark until Xylem launched cans in my kayak.
the Month of Service initiative a few years ago. Each
October, the company encourages employees to give And if you're doing it
three hours or more of their time to volunteer in the on a singular basis, it's
communities around where they work. great, but if you can
just collect a few more
The focus is on the environment, whether that’s people to join in,
cleaning up a beach, planting trees, or teaching you magnify that
people about the importance of water quality. impact tenfold.

When I learned that Xylem was sponsoring employee- Most people, when
led volunteer projects, and also allowed employees to asked, are going to
take time out of our day jobs to do it—I was excited! want to support you.
I was already working with the Nature Center at Caesar
Creek on my own (a local lake near the YSI facility Just ask!
in Ohio). And this was an opportunity to scale our
cleanup efforts to make a bigger impact.

It worked out really well. We had a group of 10 people

cleaning up garbage and debris on the trails and
beach. I wouldn’t say that we enjoyed picking up trash,
but we definitely enjoyed seeing the results of what we
were able to accomplish together.

Who’s Minding the Planet? 47

 XYLEM SPOTLIGHT

Student Artwork
Part of Xylem's volunteer program includes participating in
educational events for students of various ages. While it's
never expected, sometimes we receive notes of appreciation.
Here are some of our favorites:

by Ateerus

by Deena

by Arielle
48 MISSION: WATER
 XYLEM SPOTLIGHT

by Allayha

by Liam

by Griffin

For more on Watermark, please

visit: xylemwatermark.com

Who’s Minding the Planet? 49

 TECHNICAL TIPS
BEAM SEPARATION in ADPs and ADCPs
Various examples
of beam separation
including one example
of good beam SNR.
(For illustration only.)
Good SNR Profile
Brittany Jenner, Application Engineer at SonTek, a Xylem brand
What is Beam Separation?
Monostatic acoustic transducers used
on acoustic Doppler current profilers
(ADPs or ADCPs) are used in pairs and
groups to resolve multi-directional
water velocity and sometimes track
position. It is critical that the acoustic
signal from these groups of beams
show the same acoustic decay at the
same decibel (dB) level.
Beam separation is defined by the
difference in dB among the beams, if
any one beam differs by more than
10 dB, this beam is considered to be
separated from the others.
OK, what’s the big deal?
If multiple transducers are being used,
won’t the others resolve velocity and
track position? This is a valid question
and in certain circumstances, this may
be true.
However, for moving boat or discharge
applications, where water velocity
in 3D must be computed along with
position, it is essential that all beams
are functioning properly and profiling
under similar conditions. Each beam
of an ADP is used to compute one
component of 3D velocity.
When one beam is malfunctioning or
separating, this will directly impact the
velocity and possibly position data, and
thus discharge.
Contact the SonTek technical team: support@sontek.com
For customer support services: SonTek.com/Total-Care
50
Single Beam Split
What can you do to
identify, test, and resolve
beam separation?
Beam separation will directly impact
the accuracy of an ADP’s calculated
velocity and position data. No
post-processing steps will correct
beam separation. For this reason,
it is crucial that operators can
identify and work to correct beam
separation in the field during
data collection.
Identifying beam separation is easy
and has been made even easier by
the addition of real-time QC alerts
in recent software updates. Beam
separation can be seen in the SNR
(Signal to Noise Ratio) profile. Some
site conditions that cause beam
separation are:
• High flows in shallow, mountain
streams where turbulent water
causes excessive tilt
• Boat mounted applications counter-weight on the towline can
where the wake may cause
cavitation around the ADP
• Measuring from a bridge,
cableway, etc. that causes an
angle on the line, pulling the bow Support for instructions.
up and exposing transducer(s)
• Debris or surface plumes moving
downstream that block the
acoustic beams
Two Beam Split Multiple Separation
To test for beam separation,
follow these steps:
Stop or complete the measurement
by finishing a transect or the
averaging period for that station:
• If one or more beams were
intermittently displaying
separation, lower the ADP further
into the water.
• If the separation persists or is
consistently seen on one (or
more) beams, rotate the ADP
90 – 180 degrees.
Proceed with the next measurement
step while watching the SNR profile.
If a different beam separates, try
the following:
• Place the ADP further below the
surface or wipe the beams with
your hand or cloth.
• Check the tilt values if working
from a bridge, cableway, etc., a
help lower the bow.
If the same beam is separated, then
your instrument will require service.
Please contact SonTek Technical
Make sure to document any new
position or rotate the ADP back to its
original configuration, if proceeding
with the measurement.
MISSION: WATER
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1) The tissue in plants that brings water upward from the roots;
2) a leading global water technology company.

We’re a global team unified in a common purpose: creating advanced technology solutions
to the world’s water challenges. Developing new technologies that will improve the way
water is used, conserved, and re-used in the future is central to our work. Our products
and services move, treat, analyze, monitor and return water to the environment, in public
utility, industrial, residential and commercial building services settings. Xylem also provides
a leading portfolio of smart metering, network technologies and advanced analytics
solutions for water, electric and gas utilities. In more than 150 countries, we have strong,
long-standing relationships with customers who know us for our powerful combination
of leading product brands and applications expertise with a strong focus on developing
comprehensive, sustainable solutions.

For more information on how Xylem can help you, go to www.xylem.com

Xylem Analytics
Tel +1.888.966.9807
xylemanalytics.com

Xylem Brands Represented

YSI Incorporated SonTek

info@ysi.com inquiry@sontek.com
YSI.com SonTek.com

Integrated Systems & Services

systems@ysi.com
YSI.com/systems
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aanderaa.info@xyleminc.com
Aanderaa.com

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