A Submerged Buoy to Extend Data Collection Period in Lake Erie

As harmful algae levels continue to rise in Lake Erie, people and wildlife are at risk. To prevent the water from becoming too dangerous, the Scholars of Excellence in Engineering and Computer Sciences (SEECS) program at Gannon University has collaborated with the Regional Science Consortium to engineer a submerged device that extends the data collection timeline and stores water quality data of Lake Erie. The SEECS program was established in 2008 at Gannon University and is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Scholarships in Sciences, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (S-STEM) program. This device records dissolved oxygen levels and water temperature at fixed intervals. Extending the collection timeline will reveal the conditions under which algae is produced and a solution for this problem could be created to save the lake. We have begun construction of the buoy using a 5-gallon bucket to store the electrical components. The electrical system consists of two batteries, a dissolved oxygen probe, a temperature sensor, an Arduino, and various electrical parts. The bucket contains a metal plate for the components to rest on, an acrylic sheet to separate the batteries from the components, layers of foam to fill gaps, and a metal rod through the bucket to be attached to the anchorage system. The testing has been completed to ensure that the bucket is waterproof and to discover the maximum weight that can be placed into the system. For the anchorage system, chains will be used to connect to a concrete block within the lake.