The Great Barrier Reef Sensor Network

The Australian Institute of Marine Science has a long history of monitoring the marine environment and associated biota. Data from seven autonomous weather stations are augmented with submerged temperature loggers and automatically quality checked and stored in the data centre. However collecting real-time data at appropriate temporal and spatial scales is critical to understanding complex marine processes. The emerging generation of 'smart' sensors opens up a range of opportunities for automated intelligent monitoring of marine systems. However development of these sensors is beyond the capacity of AIMS and requires the involvement of national and international collaborations. The Coral Reef Environmental Observing Network provides a mechanism to develop sensor networks for the Great Barrier Reef(GBR). Comprised of marine groups across the world this group is active in assisting members to monitor the coral reef environment. For the GBR, we are extending the existing monitoring infrastructure by placing of a number of environmental sensors, measuring temperature, salinity and light, at Davies Reef, Magnetic Island and Heron Island in North Queensland. Utilising standard computer network protocols, the sensors will be IP based, spatially aware and able to adapt to conditions they are monitoring. This will give us a better understanding of the relationship between various environmental parameters, the impact of temperature changes on coral reefs and the impact of global warming on the GBR system. Critical to the success of this project will be the early involvement of marine managers in the design and functionality of the entire system.