Florida Bay Water Quality Estimated by Underway Flow-through Measurement

Data was collected using a boat-mounted Dataflow onboard flow-through collection system (Madden and Day 1992). While the boat is underway, the Dataflow receives a continuous stream of water from an onboard pump that is routed to a series of sensors operating in flow-through mode. These sensors measure the physical and optical properties of water passing through the system at 6 second intervals (approximately every 70 m of boat travel). Measurements are georeferenced by an onboard GPS unit with a horizontal accuracy of ± 250 cm. Each Dataflow survey is supplemented by a set of discrete grab samples. These samples were collected from the Dataflow outflow hose while underway and were analyzed for chlorophyll concentration, total suspended solids, as well as a suite of organic and inorganic nutrient species. Dataflow surveys took place on a quarterly to bimonthly interval from 2008 to 2015.