CT DEEP Long Island Sound Water Quality Data archive

Todd FakeUniversity of Connecticut

NERACOOS/NECOSP Data Management Workshop, Sept. 26, 2012

LISICOS & CT DEEP Long Island Sound Water Quality Data

• Development of a sustained capability to observe the Long Island Sound ecosystem and an adequate capability to understand and predict its response to natural and anthropogenic changes.

• Provide easier access to this long term water quality data

• Added value to LISICOS research and provide other parties direct access to these data

About CT DEEP Long Island Sound Water Quality Data

• The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), on behalf of the Long Island Sound Study estuary program, conducts a Long Island Sound Water Quality Monitoring Program since 1991

• October to May, water quality is monitored by collecting samples once a month from 17 sites

• Bi-weekly hypoxia surveys start in mid-June and end in September with up to 48 stations being sampled during each survey.

How we manage our data

• CT DEEP maintains in-house relational database

• Periodically this database is ingested into the LISICOS data system using a series of set queries

Data Management Successes

• Allowed researchers to easily access, compare and analyze data

• Comprehensive analysis of DO duration

• Analysis of long term trends of nitrate and phosphorous

• LIS bottom temperature

Data Management Challenges

• Once initial framework was built challenges have been minimal

• Delay in data transfer – Security and time limitation

Take home points

• Allowing data collectors to leverage existing platforms to visualize and serve information

• Broadens user base, saves data management time, provided platform to exploit these data