By Connie Leinbach
Ocracoke eighth graders learning about the science of water recently created a monitor with assistance from David Sybert, an education specialist with Coastal Studies Institute, Wanchese.
The class anchored the monitor off the NCCAT pier.
Science teacher Patricia Piland said the monitor will be in the water for a year and take readings of water temperature, PH, salinity, humidity, barometric pressure and more.
“A neutral PH is optimum for fish health,” noted Jeyson Resendez, one of the students.
“Fish don’t like acidity,” Piland added.
The monitor gathers data every 10 minutes then the students download the data to the Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association (SECOORA) website.
“This will help people studying the Sound,” Sybert said.
It also will be good for people fishing.
“If you have a good fishing day, you will be able to check the data by going to the SECOORA website” he said.
Then, keep checking the data for the same conditions another time.
“This is real data, and this information isn’t available everywhere else,” Piland added.
Update: Shortly after the buoy was deployed, it toppled over into the water due to water seepage into the PVC pipe structure and the black box that holds the computer, Piland reported. The students retrieved the buoy and are figuring out how to make it water tight.
