Page 24 - Performance Verification Statement for the Chelsea UV Aquatracka Fluorometer

Ref. No. [UMCES]CBL 2013-014
ACT VS12-01
RESULTS of MOORED FIELD TEST
Moored Deployment in Baltimore Harbor Maryland
The moored deployment field test occurred in Winans Cove, Baltimore Harbor, MD
(Photo 7). The port of Baltimore is highly industrialized, especially in the area surrounding
Winans Cove. Runoff from industry and nearby Interstate 95 directly impacts the test area,
especially during rains. The instruments were deployed at a depth of 1 meter on a deployment
system attached to a research barge at the end of a US Government pier. The pier was behind a
locked gate, guarded and only accessible to authorized personnel.
Photo 7. Site map and photo of the field test site located in Winans Cove, Baltimore Harbor
MD.
The original mooring was damaged by storm waves after only four days and had to be re-
established after instruments were checked and repaired. The initial deployment occurred at
21:00 local on August 11, 2011. Samples were collected on August 11th and 12th. The
deployment rack and set-up was checked daily on the days ACT staff were not available on site
for sampling. At some point between the visual inspection at 17:00 on August 14th and arrival of
ACT staff on site at 10:30 on August 15th, the supports for the mooring rack were damaged due
to a series of strong overnight storms. The mooring rack was found suspended in the water by
two safety lines but lacking any support to the floating platform. This separation from the
platform caused several of the data cables leading from the instruments to the dataloggers to
either be severed or pulled free. The deployment rack and instruments were removed from the
water and cleaned. The instruments were tested using quinine sulfate (QS) and naphthalene
disulfonic (NDSA) acid to verify that they were working correctly. Once verified, the
instruments were redeployed at 13:00 on August 18, 2011. A modified mooring set-up was
designed to better handle the motion caused by waves reflecting off the barge hull. On August
26, 2011, the instruments had to be removed as the barge was relocated due to the approach of
Hurricane Irene.
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