The new ICON/CREWS station was installed to the bottom plate in La Parguera Marine Reserve, Puerto Rico, at 9:22am, October 18th. The USCG was informed that same day. After two intense, full days of underwater work, the station was completed near sundown on October 19th. The NOAA Working Divers completing this work were Jules Craynock (UDS), Scott Stolz, Jeff Judas and Hector Casanova. Jeff Absten and Jim Hendee assisted with the installation and organization of future maintenance and research aspects with the University of Puerto Rico Department of Marine Science staff on Magueyes Island. Dr. Roy Armstrong of UPR/DMS is the local contact. At this time, the only operational part of the station is the navigational light (white, half-second flash every four seconds, visible for 3.2 nm). This is apparently the only navigational light between Cabo Roja and Ponce, and will serve as a good entrance channel marker to the Reserve and general embayment area. The instruments and electrical infrastructure are scheduled to be installed during the week of December 5th, 2005. Final rigging adjustments will also be attended to at that time. The sensors will include those for measuring wind speeds and gusts, barometric pressure, relative humidity, precipitation, photosynthetically available radiation (PAR, above and below water), ultraviolet radiation (UV 305, 330, 380nm, above and below water), state of tide, sea temperature, salinity, and pulse amplitude modulating (PAM) fluorometry on up to four species of coral.
Cheers, Jim Hendee