Low-Cost and Climate Water Monitoring in the Amazon Basin
A monitoring tool that is made up of a modular sensor system of water level and water quality sensors, and weather stations, as well as mobile and web applications for data collection, management, and dissemination. It utilizes open source platforms to create a low-cost alternative to water and weather monitoring.
At a regional scale, we seek to investigate environmental factors that might relate to fish migrations in the Amazon Basin. To do so, Florida International University is collaborating with Wildlife Conservation Society, Conservify, and numerous local partners to the establishment of a low-cost, high-tech water and climate monitoring network throughout the Amazon Basin.
At a local scale, many communities and local organizations have questions of their own pertaining to ecosystems at a smaller scale. Observations of factors like local hydrology, microbasins, and white-, black-, and clearwater ecosystems—which can be adjacent to each other yet have remarkably different environments—shape these questions. Ultimately, we look to respond not only the basin-scale question, but also local questions.
Parameters:
- Water level
- Water Quality: temperature, pH, conductivity and dissolved oxygen
- Weather conditions: air temperature, precipitation, atmospheric pressure, relative humidity, solar radiation, and wind speed and direction
Tools:
- Modular sensor system to monitor climate and water level and quality
- Mobile application for Android devices allows individuals and local organizations to download field data, transfer data to the cloud, where it goes through a quality control before being put at free disposal through a web application.
- Web application for management quality control and dissemination of information
We will generate open data: anyone with an Android device and an internet connection, anywhere in the world, will be able to access the data and download it.
Pilots:
- Fundación Omacha and Universidad Nacional de Colombia: Puerto Nariño and Leticia, Lagos de Tarapoto and Lago Yaguarcaca (Colombia)
- Instituto del Bien Común: Puerto Bermúdez (Perú)
- Instituto Mamirauá: Tefé (Brasil)
- Radio Ucamara y Wildlife Conservation Society: Nauta, on the confluence of Marañon and Ucayali (Perú)
- San Diego Zoo Global: Cocha Cashu (Perú)
- Universidad San Francisco de Quito y Wildlife Conservation Society: Tiputini, Rio Tiputini (Ecuador)
- Wildlife Conservation Society: Rurrenabaque and Madidi (Bolivia)