Humidity diagnostics, cessation of communications

[This back-dated post is an excerpt from my Calabash Caye Evaluation Report, which was circulated on September 15, 2015.  The graph was added for purposes of this blog post and is not featured in the evaluation report.]

I also have RH reports from the Main junction box of the South Water buoy, which I believe to have been operating at a dock or possibly on land somewhere, and those values suggest a seal failure with RHs ranging between 50% and 80%. This buoy was online and reporting through June 25, 2015, at which time reports ceased for reasons unknown.

The X-axis is decimal years running from April/2014 to June/2015.  The Y-axis is percentage humidity ranging from 0% to 100%.  Click on the graph to see a larger version.

Note that there is no reported relative humidity (RH) diagnostic, which would normally be drawn in green, because at the South Water Caye station there is a communications failure between the Main datalogger and the Met Junction Box.

Contact names for the South Water Caye site

[taken from an email by Emma Doyle (GCFI) dated September 7, 2015.]

I work with the MPA Manager at South Water Caye Marine Reserve, Samuel Novelo, on another project. I checked in with him the other day and he suggested that you could copy him on correspondence in case he can be of any assistance, but that you keep directing communication to your focal point in Fisheries.

South Water's EXO Sonde known to be back in Belize

[taken from an email by Albert Jones (CCCCC) dated September 1, 2015.]

I know that the EXO sonde for South Water Caye is back in country, but will have to check on the Calabash unit.

Pictures of the South Water Caye buoy

[taken from an email by Jim Hendee dated July 28, 2015.]

Click on photo to see a larger version.

Click on photo to see a larger version.

Click on photo to see a larger version.

Click on photo to see a larger version.

Context for the South Water Caye buoy site

[taken from an email by Jim Hendee dated July 9, 2015.]

Carrie Bow Caye, south of South Water, is site of the long-standing Smithsonian Lab.

Click on map to see a larger version.

Condition of mooring lines

[taken from an email by John Halas (EMI, Inc) dated July 3, 2015.]

I am still trying to get some detailed feedback from the individuals at Calabash and South Water Caye on the condition of the mooring lines. I did hear from James  Azueta that he talked to the individual at SW Caye and he said that the ropes needed to be replaced. I am now trying to determine if the complete back up system is still there and available and the "extra" 1" nylon rope is still there and available.

What is known about the South Water buoy problems

[taken from an email by Albert Jones (CCCCC) dated June 16, 2015.]

What I know about the failure at Southwater was that on return of the Met Canister from YSI, no communication was possible with the Met Logger, once the guys at Fisheries reinstalled it. It could be cable connection failure or the CR1000 logger itself. So at present, I can see the main logger sending only diagnostic data, but no sensor data meteorological or water quality. Because their laptop with the relevant software has failed, no further troubleshooting has been done and it was decided to let the experts look at it.

Buoy still on land, evaluation visit planned

[this post is back-dated to the time of the email messages from which it was assembled]

In the spring of 2015, evaluation and reprogramming of the Calabash Caye equipment had begun at AOML.  The next logical step was to plan a trip to Calabash Caye in order to reinstall the electronics and sensors and prepare it for deployment.  Meanwhile, there was no change in status of the second buoy at South Water Caye, which was known to be on land as of this message from Albert Jones (CCCCC) dated March 24, 2015:

The South Water Caye buoy is still at the dock at the resort and can be easily accessed. That assessment by Mike J can be arranged on his trip to Belize.

Later on, a message from Albert Jones dated April 24, 2015 contained the following:

I would want to suggest that an extra day be set aside to have a quick look at the South Water Caye Buoy. It can be arranged as a one day visit to have Mike do his own analysis on what will be needed to resurrect that station.

As of the summer and autumn of 2015 this is indeed the plan, that Mike Jankulak and Mike Shoemaker will travel to Calabash Caye to install that buoy and prepare it for deployment but while in Belize we will visit South Water Caye for one day on a fact-finding mission.