click photo for larger view

Post-Workshop Synopsis

The USGS and CUAHSI convened a three day workshop on In Situ Optical Water Quality Sensor Networks, June 8 - 10, 2011, in Shepherdstown, WV. The goal of the workshop was to explore ways to coordinate development of standards and applications for optical sensors, as well as handling, storage, and analysis of the continuous data they produce.

The workshop brought together more than 60 scientists, programs managers, and vendors from universities, government agencies, and the private sector to identify opportunities and begin developing community standards for making nationally-consistent, high-quality environmental measurements with optical sensors. The workshop focused on the complete life cycle of sensor deployment:

Sensor Deployment → Network Design → Data Transmission →
Data Management → Data Visualization and Analysis

Post-Workshop Resources

• A white paper based on workshop results is being produced, and working groups will be formed based on topics identified in several breakout sessions.
• An on-line community to share experiences is also being established at www.watersensors.org; anyone interested in optical sensors is welcome to join.
• We invite all who wish to participate in the workgroups advancing various phases of this effort to contact Brian Bergamaschi (bbergama@usgs.gov).
• The final workshop agenda (plenary talks and breakout sessions) is available for download.
• In addition, a poster session was held on Wednesday evening, June 8^th. A list of the posters presented that evening is also available for download.
• Review Friday's vision talks.

Anyone interested in specific presentations or posters, or in learning more about specific breakout sessions, can contact Jennifer Arrigo (jarrigo@cuahsi.org) for more information.

Workshop Sponsors
National Science Foundation	CUAHSI	USGS Office of Surface Water