Climate Change Impacts on Fine Scale Patch Dynamics of Lakes and Estuaries

Abstract

Marine organisms such as phytoplankton and zooplankton are sensitive to the spatial and temporal patchiness of their ecosystems. Properties such as temperature can greatly influence their movement, growth, and survivability. Current efforts towards patch detection have focused on satellite, seaglider, and CTD data of open ocean hydrodynamics. This project aims to tackle an insufficiently studied area of patchiness; estuarine and lake fine scale measurements. This paper outlines the design and development of an autonomous surface water vehicle (ASV) and subsequent discoveries. Simulated data from the ASVs have been analyzed as a demonstration of sampling techniques and instrument viability. Data taken using these ASVs could be used to further research into biogeochemical cycles and their relation to fine scale estuarine and lake patch dynamics.