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| A basic understanding of ecosystems such as those at Race Rocks , involves an overview of the structure and function of ecosystems. Ecosystem structure involves a consideration of the biotic or living part as well as the abiotic or physical part of the system . In this file we will record the process of setting up the technology to enable racerocks.com to bring a useful resource representing the abiotic environment for those using this website. |
LAYING THE CONDUITS: A COLLABORATIVE EXPERIENCE
Throughout this year, ( 2000) we have been involved in preparing the infrastructure for such a system at Race Rocks. In the project week at the end of February, Jim, Hanna and Roberto helped Mike and Chris to lay a 6 cm conduit out from the west side of the Marine Science Centre to the artificial tidepool. It was important to bury the conduit at this time to avoid disturbing the nesting seabirds which would start to mark their territories later in the spring. In June, the five students who stayed at Race Rocks to run a series of daily live webcasts on the mobile camera, started work on the second conduit, by laying a 10cm conduit in the upper intertidal area by the docks. Later, students of the ten year reunion who were at Pearson College helped in the loading of sand and gravel for the concreting of the conduit . On the day of the lowest spring tide in July, Mike and Garry installed the conduit down to the end of the docks along the side of the boat rails. In mid July, Jim and Jochen helped Garry to install the conduit underwater out to a depth of 8 meters, where the underwater sensors are installed. |
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July, 2000-A low tide view of the location of the installed conduit. It is located under the rock work beside the water-intake line. At this stage it was installed down to where the boat was located. |
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A view from the end of the conduit back toward shore. The flat area is the existing rail bed for the boat launch Rocks have been concreted over the conduit to minimize exposure from the weather. |
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| PREPARING THE SENSORS FOR SUBMERSION
Don Nixon, the electrician at Lester Pearson College has helped us to prepare the hydrophone and two sensors for installation. The following pictures illustrate the process.
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Wires are hot-soldered together inside a waterproofed junction box. Then they are tied and pressed flat into the box |
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| Then a gel, especially chosen because it is waterproof, fills the box over the wires. Once the lid is sealed, and the gel hardens, no water can enter , nor can the container be compressed by the pressure at depth in the ocean. |
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This is the finished hydrophone, ready for installation. The hydrophone was donated by John Ford of the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Science Center-( see sponsors page) |
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Seapoint Sensors of New Hampshire (see sponsors page) provided the Chlorophyll A and Turbidity sensors on the right, . These run out of the same junction box |
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UNDERWATER INSTALLATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL SENSORS...
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