If you notice some large yellow buoys in Liverpool Bay in the coming days, please leave them where they are.
A Dalhousie University researcher is placing them in strategic parts of the harbour on Thursday to test a new way of monitoring water quality.
Leigh Howarth is a post-doctoral fellow in the oceonography department, and is heading up the project.
He says water quality monitoring often involves expensive equipment which is why they’re trying a new method.
“You simply just leave some seaweed in the water for about five to seven days and during that time the seaweed will grow absorbing the nutrients in the water.”
The seaweed is encased in a clear bottle, empty peanut butter jars to be exact, with lots of holes and attached to the yellow buoys.
Howarth says water monitoring is generally quite costly.
“They would use very expensive sensors and that involves sampling all the time throughout the day, several times a year, it involves filtering hundreds and hundreds of litres of water.”
After a week, Howarth will retrieve the buoys and analyze the data through a series of tests at the lab.
They’ll be placed in various areas like near wharves, the fish farm near Coffin’s Island, Port Mersey, and other spots, this Thursday.
Howarth says there are some interesting factors in Liverpool Bay and he is looking to check the difference in water quality in the different areas.
Since starting the project, Howarth says he’s consulted with fishermen, fish farm employees, and others and so far has had a positive response.
But he says if there’s a problem with a spot, you can contact him.
To contact Howarth, email: leigh.howarth@dal.ca
Story by Brittany Wentzell
Twitter: @BrittWentzell
Email: wentzell.brittany@radioabl.ca
