In 2023, Homarus began a long-term coastal monitoring project to track changes and trends in benthic water chemistry. To achieve this, we installed stations equipped with sensors measuring temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen. Our stations were made of repurposed lobster traps modified and used as a caged anchor to house the sensors. In accordance with the whale safe initiative to reduce vertical lines in the water column to protect this endangered species, the ‘’traps/stations’’ stay on the bottom, with no surface buoy. Every 6 months we would have to grapple the area the find them back, bring them up to offload the data, recalibrate and reinstall.
LUCKILY in 2024, Homarus partnered with the province of New Brunswick and other non-governmental organizations in a province-wide coastal monitoring program. Through this collaboration, we have discovered advanced technology to anchor and retrieve our monitoring stations more efficiently. Our sensors are now on a short string with a buoy (about 10 feet long, from the bottom) anchored to the sea floor and equipped with an acoustic release. When it’s time for recovery we sail to the location and use the transmitter to signal the acoustic device to release the anchor and with the help of the attached buoy the string pop up and surface where it can be grabbed and brought onboard.
This modification significantly improves the project’s efficiency and allows us to save time during the retrieval process.
