Sensors Could Help Save Coral Reefs

Miami, FL, 2007-07-25 - The use of an existing technology could help save Florida’s one remaining, near-shore, living coral reef, says Miami-based, consultant physical geographer, Dr Ulf Erlingsson. He is urging that a ‘real time’ monitoring of coral reef siltation, would help prevent a fatal build-up on this last reef.

Florida has been ‘nourishing’ many miles of beaches by adding sand taken from the seafloor. However, this sand contains fine silt, which clouds the water. Its build up is lethal to near-shore coral and has destroyed all but one reef.

While the Southeast Florida Coral Reef Initiative is now developing Best Management Practice documents on how to nourish beaches, without harming coral reefs, Dr Erlingsson notes it does not include any real-time monitoring, which can warn of siltation and trigger preventive contingency plans.

He is advocating an additional Best Management Practice on siltation monitoring should be adopted. This would require a better quality of data than was available in the past. Monitoring then was understandably aimed at measuring biological impact, rather than working to prevent damage.

“Sedimeters can measure in real time, with enough resolution to warn before permanent harm has been done,” he says. “But although they have been around and used for over a decade, they have never been used to save coral reefs.”

Back in 1985 Dr. Erlingsson developed a sedimeter sensor for measuring erosion, sedimentation, siltation, scour and transport. It measures the changes in bottom elevation with a resolution of a 0.1 mm as well as the near-bed turbidity. A refined model 2 is now in production.

More recent work has involved the development of a Wave Engulfer, or attenuator to lessen wave hazard and mitigate beach erosion. In the pilot test phases at present, the device could offer potential to convert wave energy to electricity and is part of a long term R&D project.

Now sedimeters may get a chance to prove their worth to coral. According to Robert Brantly, coastal engineering administrator at the Bureau of Beaches & Coastal System at Florida Department of Environmental Protection, he is “recommending that sedimeters be installed to monitor sedimentation on reef tracts offshore of Broward County.”

“As the next phase of beach nourishment, which is Broward County, approaches, I hope that the Bureau and the local project sponsor and permittee, Broward County, will incorporate sedimeters into the existing monitoring program for a period of side by side testing.”

About Lindorm, Inc. - Recognizing the need for solutions to save the nearshore environment of Florida and many other coasts, Lindorm was established in 2006 to develop and market ingenious solutions aimed at working in harmony with nature. Lindorm took over the R&D carried out by Erlingsson Sub-Aquatic Surveys (ESAS) since 1989, and has several unique products in its portfolio. The SediMeter was marketed by ESAS until 2006.

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