| The following is a summary of the range of sensors that we are planning to eventually be able to deploy to provide real time and archived data on the racerocks .com website. This will of course depend on the ability and willingness for partners, scientific or industrial, to have their instruments deployed at minimum expense for "proof of concept" studies, with potential long term application. We are confident that the high profile that will develop on the site because of the streaming video content will be an inducement for organizations to collaborate as volunteer partners in the project. This is a program with major sponsorship of the Millennium Partners Fund of Canada. Our experience with the generosity of partners so far has been overwhelming, and we are confident that the returns from their involvement will be worthwhile. Lester B.Pearson College http://www.uwc.ca/ has benefited in it's own education program since it helped to create the ecological reserve at Race Rocks in 1980. We have believed in the educational value of the area to the extent that we have served as wardens for the reserve since its inception. |
We currently provide staffing by ecological reserve guardians at the light station along with fuel costs and maintenance of the island, having done so since it's automation and destaffing by the Canadian Coast Guard in March of 1997. Our commitment to the continued presence of our staff on the island will ensure the security for the future of all equipment installed. We are at the same time working with BC Parks, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and the local First Nations to complete the stakeholder consultation process, and ecological educational program in order to provide long term protection and sustainability of the ecological reserve as Canada's first official Marine Protected Areas. Keep in mind the overall goal of the project is to provide a comprehensive window into this very unique ecosystem on the most southerly point of the West Coast of Canada, while protecting the ecological integrity of that system with minimal impact from human presence or environmental modification. |
 Phase one of the program saw the opening of the streaming video sites by March 11th, of 2000. Three cameras and iMacs operate with 24 hour a day coverage. We are using broad band radio technology for a direct link to our web server. |
In August of 2000, the live straming video streams were transferred to the Alkamai network where they are being hosted by the Apple Learning Interchange.It is important to emphasize that all products will be made available freely on the internet site racerocks.com with proper acknowledgment to sponsoring partners. The future plans for the site in phase two include environmental data gathering by sensors and direct feed to our internet network with the following additions. |
Ocean Surface:
1. Surface conditions (streaming video)
2. Fog
3. Sea state- swell and wave height on shore.
|
 |
Subtidal:
 1. Hydrophone- for acoustics- especially local and transient orca-- |
1. Zooplankton Acoustic Profiler- two frequencies- 200KHz for Euphasids, and one lower frequency for fish.
2. Fluorimeter- for chlorophyll content ( primary production)
3. Salinity
4. Temperature
5. Density
6. Tidal height (tidal range is three meters)
7. Current Velocity and direction
( velocities up to 6.5 knots go through the channel
close to the island)
8. Nutrients (phosphorous)
9. Dissolved gases. (Oxygen)
|
Artificial Tidepool on West side of Great Race:
1. Temperature
2. Salinity
3. Dissolved gases( Oxygen)
4. pH
|
 |
Terrestrial- Atmospheric:
1. Soil temperature
2. Soil moisture
3. Solar radiation
4. UV radiation
5. Wind Speed and direction (35 meters)tower level
6. Wind speed and direction - ground
7. Temperature 8. Precipitation
9. Humidity Streaming
10.Gas sensors: Oxygen, CO2
|
 |
Video monitoring:
1. Two tower video cameras for coverage of the marine protected area and surrounding waters.
2. Mobile ground video camera for coverage of research and education on-site activity.
3. Fixed cameras on outer sides of the two residences- for coverage of sea lion haul-out, and seabird nesting.
4. Mobile camera for underwater video when our divers are on site
5. IR streaming video for night images in seabird nesting colony, harbour seal birthing and sealion haulout area.
6. Underwater robotic camera
7.Underwater tidepool camera. |
 |
|
|
|
ASSEMBLING THE SENSORS:
Preparations for the installation of hydrophone and chlorophyll sensors. |
 .
|
Installing the Underwater Sensor bar and initial test sensors , December 2000 |
|
An update on the progress of the installation and calibration of the environmental data sensors at Race Rocks |
