Multi-sensor mooring development and its use to characterise physical processes relevant to harmful algal bloom dynamics in the St Helena Bay area, South Africa

Harmful algal blooms (HABs), typically attributed to dinoflagellate species, occur along the west coast of South Africa, particularly during the latter part of the upwelling season. As part of the Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem (BCLME) programme, a buoy has been developed locally for monitoring the development and occurrence of HABs. The mooring is situated three and a half kilometres offshore from Lambert's Bay, downstream from the Cape Columbine upwelling cell, on the west coast of South Africa, and collects high frequency time series data, available in real time. The instrument package on the buoy provides bio-optical data analogous to remote sensing reflectance, temperature and current profile data, and fluorescence. The locally developed mooring and observing system is the only real-time, bio-optical mooring in southern Africa. Its development, and configuratoin of the instruments, data collection and telecommunications systems, are fully documented in this thesis.

Grantor dc:publisher.institution

Department of Oceanography

Year dc:date.issued

2006

Author dc:creator

• Fawcett, Alexandra

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/11427/6470

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/6470