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Harbor Watch / River Watch Program
About HW/RW Volunteering Internships News Resources |
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HW/RW Newsletters: Fall 2009 Summer 2009 About Harbor Watch / River Watch
In conjunction with Earthplace staff members, volunteers collect dissolved oxygen data in shallow water harbors using field equipment such as dissolved oxygen meters, conductivity meters and pH meters. This information is used to construct oxygen profiles of harbors and document hypoxic (low oxygen tensions) events which may occur during the warm summer months. These conditions are damaging to most marine life forms.
Data on nutrient concentrations, bacteria and aquatic insect populations are gathered in freshwater watershed areas. HW/RW data analysis is conducted in the Earthplace Water Quality Research Lab. This is a fully equipped research lab with fecal coliform count, nutrient analysis, and larval fish and insect identification/count capabilities. State and federally approved Quality Control / Quality Assurance (QA/QC) protocols are in place and the lab has Environmental Laboratory certification from the State of CT Department of Health. HW/RW activities not only allow Earthplace to have a role in collecting and disseminating valuable scientific data, they also support our mission by teaching participants about aquatic and marine resources and the need for wise use and conservation of these critical and fragile habitats.
Each month HW/RW compiles a water quality report on data collected
at 10 established water-sampling sites. Thanks to the
Norwalk River
Watershed Association (NRWA), these reports are available at
www.norwalkriver.org/waterreadings.htm. The reports contain
information on indicator bacteria levels, dissolved oxygen
conditions, and conductivity. The headwaters of the Norwalk River Watershed
are in Ridgefield and its terminus is the Norwalk Harbor.
Internships
Each year Earthplace offers water quality internship
positions to area high school and college students.
Contact us for more information at
info@earthplace.org.
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