May’s flooding washed away two of the Reserve’s water data-logger units used for the System-Wide Monitoring Program (SWMP). Replacing the units was well timed, though, as equipment upgrades now allow public access to “real-time” data on weather and water quality.

The meteorological station near the Coastal Ecology Center and the new water datalogger near the Skinner Mill Bridge now transmit data to a satellite, which relays it to the NOAA Centralized Data Management Office in South Carolina. The CDMO website presents the data in different formats, including the familiar look of a thermometer and gauges.

By making provisional data available in real time, the Wells NERR will soon become further integrated with other NOAA programs, such as the National Weather Service, National Water Level Observation Network, and the Integrated Ocean Observing System.

Soon, the Reserve will share real-time weather and water data via its own website.