Sensors 2012, 12(2), 1398-1421; doi:10.3390/s120201398
Article

Use of a Real-Time Remote Monitoring Network (RTRM) to Characterize the Guadalquivir Estuary (Spain)

Gabriel Navarro 1,* email, Isabel Emma Huertas 1 email, Eduardo Costas 2 email, Susana Flecha 1 email, Manuel Díez-Minguito 3 email, Isabel Caballero 1 email, Victoria López-Rodas 2 email, Laura Prieto 1 email and Javier Ruiz 1 email
1 Departamento de Ecología y Gestión Costera, Instituto de Ciencias Marinas de Andalucía, ICMAN-CSIC, Puerto Real, 11519, Cadiz, Spain 2 Departamento de Producción Animal, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, 28040, Spain 3 Grupo de Dinámica de Flujos Ambientales, Centro Andaluz de Medio Ambiente, Universidad de Granada, Avda. del Mediterráneo, Granada 18006, Spain
* Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Received: 30 December 2011; in revised form: 21 January 2012 / Accepted: 30 January 2012 / Published: 1 February 2012
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Underwater Sensor Nodes and Underwater Sensor Networks)
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Abstract: The temporal variability of hydrological variables in the Guadalquivir estuary was examined during three years through a real-time remote monitoring network (RTRM). The network was developed with the aim of studying the influence of hydrodynamical and hydrological features within the estuary on the functioning of the pelagic ecosystem. Completing this data-gathering network, monthly cruises were performed in order to measure biogeochemical variables that are indicative of the trophic status of the aquatic environment. The results showed that several sources of physical forcing, such as wind, tide-associated currents and river discharge were responsible for the spatio-temporal patterns of dissolved oxygen, salinity and turbidity in the estuary. The analysis was conducted under tidal and flood regime, which allowed us to identify river discharge as the main forcing agent of the hydrology inside the estuary. In particular, episodes of elevated turbidity detected by the network, together with episodes of low salinity and dissolved oxygen were closely related to the increase in water supply from a dam located upstream. The network installed provided accurate data that can be rapidly used for research or educational applications and by policy-makers or agencies in charge of the management of the coastal area.
Keywords: real-time remote monitoring network; water quality node; Guadalquivir estuarine ecosystem; turbidity control

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Cite This Article

MDPI and ACS Style

Navarro, G.; Huertas, I.E.; Costas, E.; Flecha, S.; Díez-Minguito, M.; Caballero, I.; López-Rodas, V.; Prieto, L.; Ruiz, J. Use of a Real-Time Remote Monitoring Network (RTRM) to Characterize the Guadalquivir Estuary (Spain). Sensors 2012, 12, 1398-1421.

AMA Style

Navarro G, Huertas IE, Costas E, Flecha S, Díez-Minguito M, Caballero I, López-Rodas V, Prieto L, Ruiz J. Use of a Real-Time Remote Monitoring Network (RTRM) to Characterize the Guadalquivir Estuary (Spain). Sensors. 2012; 12(2):1398-1421.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Navarro, Gabriel; Huertas, Isabel Emma; Costas, Eduardo; Flecha, Susana; Díez-Minguito, Manuel; Caballero, Isabel; López-Rodas, Victoria; Prieto, Laura; Ruiz, Javier. 2012. "Use of a Real-Time Remote Monitoring Network (RTRM) to Characterize the Guadalquivir Estuary (Spain)." Sensors 12, no. 2: 1398-1421.

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