Summary
Project Goals
Science Questions
Mooring Design
Sensors
QAPP
Publications

ORCA Project Summary

The Oceanic Remote Chemical Analyzer (ORCA) is an autonomous moored profiling system providing real-time data streams of water and atmospheric conditions. It consists of a profiling underwater sensor package with a variety of chemical and optical sensors, and a surface mounted weather station, solar power system, winch, and custom computer and software package equipped with WIFI/cellular communication.

Since its deployment in 2000, the ORCA system has provided a near-continual stream of high-resolution water quality data from locations in the Puget Sound, Washington State. There are currently 6 mooring systems deployed, spread throughout Puget Sound and Hood Canal.

Project Goals

The original goal of the ORCA project was to develop a robust remote chemical and biological monitoring system that could:

incorporate a large variety of sensors to allow monitoring of key water and atmospheric parameters, such as:

temperature, salinity, solar radiation, wind speed and direction
nutrient, oxygen, and chlorophyll concentraitons, turbidity
gas exchange parameters
and currents

monitor the spectrum of time-scales, including hourly (tidal flucuations), daily (solar cycles), weekly and monthly (plankton growth and blooms), and annual (seasons and inter-annual cycles, i.e. El Nino)
telemeter data back in near-real time

Now that the system has been developed, the project has been able to focus on the analysis of the high frequency database the ORCA system has collected. While we will continue to develop the flexibility, expandability, and robustness of the system, our current goals are to:

use the high frequency data set to describe natural variability and characterize and help evaluate potential human influences
validate current physical and biological models for the Puget Sound
develop ORCA as a learning tool

allowing access to the high-resolution time series to undergraduate and graduate students who design and execute experiments
use the time-series as a real world example to teach oceanographic concepts to area middle and high school science classes

Science Questions

The high frequency data set produced by the ORCA project allows investigation of many key questions relevant to the Puget Sound, especially the area of South Puget Sound and Hood Canal:

What are the relative roles of Tidal (12.2 hr), Diel (24 hr), Bloom (week-month), Seasonal (year), and El Nino (inter-annual) cycles?
To what relative extents are phytoplankton blooms in this region dependent on: stratification, insolation and nutrients?
Are human-derived nutrient inputs currently small relative to natural (physical and biological) fluxes?
Will increases in nutrient inputs (eutrophication) as population and industrialization increase adversely impact water quality in South Puget Sound?
What are the key factors in the cause of hypoxia in southern Hood Canal?

Mooring Design

ORCA consists of a surface ATLAS float in a 3-point mooring configuration. The float has a platform, which supports a Linux micro-computer, wifi communications system, marine batteries, solar panels, meteorological station and an electric winch with slip rings. A Seabird CTD package at the end of a conducting cable provides pressure information to the surface computer, which in turn drives the winch. Weather and CTD data is transmitted back to the University of Washington lab after each cast.

Sensors

Seabird Electronics	SBE 19plus v2 SEACAT Profiler, SBE 19plus SEACAT Profiler SBE 43 Oxygen sensor SeaFET pH Sensor
WET Labs	WETStar Fluorometer ECO FLNTU Fluorometer and Turbidity Sensor
LiCor Biosciences	Quantum PAR Sensors: QSP-190R
Gill Instruments	MetPak Pro
RM Young	Anemometor & Compass
Vaisala	WMT700 WINDCAP™ Ultrasonic Wind Sensor
Soundnine	S9 Compass

QAPP

Download here

Publications

Papers

Devol, Allan H., Wendi Ruef, Steven Emerson, Jan Newton (2007). In Situ and Remote Monitoring of Water Quality in Puget Sound: the ORCA Time-Series. Environmental Research, Engineering and Management; No. 1(39), 19-23.

Devol, A., W. Ruef, and J. Newton (2013). "Puget Sound profiling buoys" in PSEMP Marine Waters Workgroup, Puget Sound Marine Waters: 2012 Overview. S. K. Moore, K. Stark, J. Bos, P. Williams, J. Newton, and K. Dzinbal (Eds).

Dunne, J. P. , A. H. Devol and S. Emerson (2002). The Oceanic Remote Chemical/Optical analyzer (ORCA): An Autonomous Moored Profiler. Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology; 1709-1721.

Mickett, J, W. Ruef, A. Devol and J. Newton (2015). "Puget Sound profiling buoys" in Puget Sound Marine Waters, 2014 Overview, S. K. Moore, R. Wold, K. Stark, J. Bos, P. Williams, K. Dzinbal, C. Krembs, and J. Newton (Eds).

Ruef, W., A. Devol, S. Emerson, J. Dunne, J. Newton, R. Reynolds, J. Lynton (2003). In Situ and Remote Monitoring of Water Quality in South Puget Sound: the ORCA Time-Series. Droscher, Toni and David A. Fraser (eds.) 2003 Georgia Basin/Puget Sound Research Conference, March 31-April 3, 2003, Vancouver, British Columbia -Proceedings.

Ruef, Wendi, Allan Devol (2007). Monitoring water quality with an autonomous moored profiler: the ORCA project. Marine Scientist; No. 20, 31-32.

Ruef, Wendi, Shelly Carpenter (2010). What's it all about, Algae? Red tides and algal blooms. Sea Kayaker Magazine, April 2010, 46-49.

Ruef, W., A. Devol and J. Newton (2012). "Puget Sound profiling buoys" in PSEMP Marine Waters Workgroup, Puget Sound Marine Waters: 2011 Overview. S. K. Moore, R. Runcie, K. Stark, J. Newton, and K. Dzinbal (Eds).

Ruef, W., A. Devol, J. Newton, and J. Mickett (2014). "Puget Sound profiling buoys" in PSEMP Marine Waters Workgroup, Puget Sound Marine Waters: 2013 Overview. S. K. Moore, K. Stark, J. Bos, P. Williams, J. Newton, and K. Dzinbal (Eds).

Presentations

Devol, A., S. Emerson, J. Newton, R. Reynolds, J. Dunne, W. Ruef. (2002) Oceanic Remote Chemical/optical Analyzer (ORCA). School of Oceanography Seminar, University of Washington, December 4, Seattle, WA.

Devol, A., J. Newton, W. Ruef, S. Emerson. (2006) Sampling Frequencies of Ocean Observing Systems. 2006 Ocean Sciences Meeting, February 21-26, Honolulu, Hawaii.

Devol, A., W. Ruef, J. Newton. (2006) High Frequency Measurements of Oxygen and Other Variables in Hood Canal Washington. ASLO Summer Meeting, June 4-9, Victoria, BC.

Devol, A., W. Ruef, J. Newton. (2007) Hood Canal Fish Kill of 2006. 2007 Georgia Basin/Puget Sound Research Conference, March 26-29, Vancouver, BC.

Devol, A.H., J. Newton, M. Kawase. (2008) Hypoxia and Fish Kill Events in Hood Canal, Washington State. 2008 Ocean Sciences Meeting, March 2-7, Orlando, Florida.

Devol, A.H., J. Newton, M. Kawase. (2008) Understanding fish kill dynamics in Hood Canal. 55th annual Eastern Pacific Ocean Conference, September 23-26, Stanford Sierra Camp, California.

Dunne, J., S. Emerson, A. Devol. (2000) Oceanic Remote Chemical/Optical Analyzer (ORCA). ASLO International Meeting, June 5-9, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Ruef, W., A. Devol, S. Emerson, J. Dunne, J. Newton, R. Reynods, J. Lynton (2003). In Situ and Remote Montitoring of Water Quality in South Puget Sound: the ORCA Time-Series. 2003 Georgia Basin/Puget Sound Research Conference, March 31-April 3, 2003, Vancouver, British Columbia.

Ruef, W., A. Devol, S. Emerson (2005). In Situ and Remote Montitoring of Water Quality in Puget Sound: the ORCA Time-Series at Point Wells. 2005 Georgia Basin/Puget Sound Research Conference, March 29-31, 2005, Seattle, Washington.

Ruef, W., A. Devol, S. Emerson, C. Smith. (2005) In Situ and Remote Monitoring of Water Quality in Puget Sound: the ORA Time-Series. School of Oceanography Seminar, University of Washington, October 28, Seattle, WA.

Ruef, W., A. Devol, J. Newton, S. Emerson, A. Paulson (2006). In Situ and Remote Monitoring of Hypoxia in Hood Canal: the ORCA Time-Series. 2006 Ocean Sciences Meeting, February 21-26, Honolulu, Hawaii.

Ruef, W., A. Devol, C. Smith, J. Newton. (2007) In Situ and Remote Monitoring of Hypoxia in Hood Canal: the ORCA Time-Series at Twanoh. 2007 Georgia Basin/Puget Sound Research Conference, March 26-29, Vancouver, BC.

Ruef, W., A. Devol, C. Smith, J. Newton. (2007) Integrated Current Measurements from the ORCA Profiling Moorings in Hood Canal, WA. NortekUSA Training Symposium, May 9-11, Carmel, CA.

Ruef, W., A. Devol, C. Smith, J. Newton. (2007) The ORCA system in Hood Canal: high frequency water quality data in real time. Marine Technology Society Meeting, May 24, Seattle, WA.

Ruef, W., A. Devol, C. Smith. (2008) In-situ profiling: What it takes to get a time series. School of Oceanography Seminar, University of Washington, February 12, Seattle, WA.

Ruef, W., A. Devol, C. Bassin, J. Newton. (2009) High-frequency Variability in Water Properties in Estuaries and the Implications for Monitoring Programs. Coastal and Estuarine Federation Meeting, November 1-5, Portland, OR.

Ruef, W., A. Devol, J. Newton, C. Bassin. (2011) Quantifying the Role of Marine Nutrient Loading to Upper Layer Production and Bottom Water Hypoxia in a Coastal Estuary. Aquatic Sciences Meeting, 13-18 February, San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Ruef, W., J. Newton, J. Mickett, A. Devol, Marine Waters Year in Review: the 2015 ORCA Time Series, Puget Sound Marine Waters Workshop: "2015 in Review", April 1, 2016, Seattle, WA.

Posters

Devol, A., W. Ruef, J. Newton, J. Richey. (2008) Anthropogenic Contributions to Hypoxia in Lower Hood Canal, Washington State. AGU Fall Meeting, December 15-19, San Francisco, California.

Ruef, W., A. Devol, J. Newton, C. Smith. (2008) Interannual Variability in Hood Canal Hypoxia. 2008 Ocean Sciences Meeting, March 2-7, Orlando, Florida.

Ruef, W., J. Mickett, A. Devol, J. Newton, M. Alford. (2008) Factors Affecting Inter-Annual Variability of Hypoxia in Hood Canal. AGU Fall Meeting, December 15-19, San Francisco, California.

Ruef, W., C. Bassin, A. Devol, J. Newton. (2009) Spatial Variability in Hood Canal. 2009 Puget Sound Georgia Basin Ecosystem Conference, February 8-11, Seattle, Washington.

Degrees

Lynton, J. (2001) Oxygen Measurements in Carr Inlet, Puget Sound: a time series from a moored profiler (ORCA). Master's Degree Presentation, School of Oceanography, University of Washington, December 14, 2001.

Papers using ORCA data

Pfeiffer-Hoyt, Anna S. and M. A. McManus (2005). Modeling the effects of environmental variability on Balanus glandula larval development. Journal of Plankton Research; 27(12):1211-1228.

Parker-Stetter, Sandra L. and John K. Horne (2009). Nekton distribution and midwater hypoxia: A seasonal, diel prey refuge? Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science; 81:13-18.

Parker-Stetter, Sandra L., John K. Horne, and Mariko M. Langness (2009). The Influence of midwater hypoxia on nekton vertical migration. ICES Journal of Mar. Sci. Feb 2009.

The Oceanic Remote Chemical Analyzer Summary