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Seminar: A Low-Cost, Modular Autonomous Water Sampler (MAWS) for Coastal Biogeochemical Monitoring
May 7 @ 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Olivia DeCroix, Darin Hiraldo, Kaja Reinhardt, Cameron Richardson, Maliheh Sarvandi
Graduate Students, ORE 653, SOEST, University of Hawaii at Manoa
*In-person (HOLM 247) & via zoom*
Zoom link
Meeting ID: 963 5962 3640
Passcode: OREseminar
https://hawaii.zoom.us/j/96359623640
Water sampling is an integral part of understanding aquatic systems. The ability to autonomously sample water at various depths and locations has advanced our temporal, and spatial understanding of Earth’s hydrology and biogeochemistry. Traditional ship-based sampling methods provide limited temporal resolution, failing to capture short-term fluctuations in seawater chemistry. Compared to human-led collection efforts, the increased temporal and spatial data coverage associated with automated water sampling technology can expand our understanding of ocean chemistry. Existing autosamplers, while effective in specific contexts, often face limitations that hinder comprehensive data collection (e.g., cost, accessibility, size/weight, modularity, etc.). We developed a new, low-cost, modular autonomous water sampler (MAWS). Its design addresses the current lack of modular and accessible open-source water samplers with a flexible configuration to enable researchers to easily increase the number of samples and a system that requires minimal technical expertise for assembly and operation by leveraging off-the-shelf components. At a base cost of approximately $500 for a single sample unit and $100 for each additional sample unit, MAWS is a cost-effective solution for scientists interested in measuring components of carbonate chemistry system such as total alkalinity (TA), dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), and pH. Simple substitutions of components could expand its use cases to trace metal analysis and organic material research. Here we present our design process, a build guide and a brief demonstration of the MAWS. This project is part of the Coastal Health Collective supported by UH Mānoa’s Strategic Investment Initiative.