Water Quality-Aquatic Care Team
Our student led Aquatic Care Team, also known as ACT, is currently monitoring the water quality in Santa Rosa Sound with routine sampling and testing.
We have partnered with Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System, or GCOOS, for our data reporting. If you would like to view our most up to date data, please click below to visit their website.
We are currently sampling at 6 sites
1. Navarre Beach Marine Park
This site is our control site since it is the farthest away from developed areas in the Santa Rosa Sound.
2. Navarre Causeway
This site helps us to monitor the water quality from the middle of Santa Rosa Sound rather than close to the beaches.
3. Navarre Beach Boat Ramp
This site was selected to see how recreational water activities affect the local water quality.
4. Waste Water Treatment Plant Shoreline
This site is to see the impact on the wastewater treatment plant's impact on the environment near it. Effluent is released into the Santa Rosa Sound from the Waste Water Treatment Plant.
5. Williams Creek
This creek is one of the bodies of water that flow directly into the Sound so testing it will help us to understand if pollution is coming from higher up in the Pensacola Bay Watershed.
6. Shell Shop
This site is to see the impacts of commercial activity on the Northern side of the Sound.
What data do we collect?
Field Observations
-
Turbidity (Water Clarity)
-
Water Color
-
Surface Water Conditions
-
Water Odor
-
Cloud Cover
-
Air Temperature
-
Wind Speed and Direction
Water Quality Parameters:
-
pH
-
Oxidation Reduction Potential
-
Dissolved Oxygen
-
Electrical Conductivity
-
Total Dissolved Solids
-
Salinity
-
Temperature
-
Barometric Pressure
