The Southern California Coastal Ocean Observing System (SCCOOS) Automated Shore Stations (SASS) Program supports an integrated sensor network that provides critical long-term measurements from four piers across southern California. The program makes continuous, real-time observations of essential ocean variables in support of ocean health and coastal-ocean water quality. The SASS network comprises instrument packages on piers in La Jolla, Newport Beach (NB), Santa Monica (SM), and Santa Barbara. Fisheries managers, state regulators, and ocean modelers all benefit from reliable water quality and Ocean Acidification/Hypoxia (OAH) observations to characterize nearshore variability. The dynamic near-shore environment requires continuous sensor-based observations to capture event-scale phenomena for comparison with changes in coastal marine ecosystems. The long-term observations of the network are essential for detecting climate change signals in the coastal ocean.
IRA Topic Area 1 funds will allow UCSB personnel to participate in the deployment of new and upgraded sensors and instruments at three of the pier stations in the SASS network. The goal of this project is to improve the resilience of the network to changing ocean conditions while taking advantage of new sensor technologies to improve data quality. This goal will be achieved by adding new and upgraded sensors to the shore stations along with the newly developed Self Calibrating SeapHOx (SCS) which measures ocean pH with high accuracy.