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U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 2011-1113

Summary of Oceanographic and Water-Quality Measurements in West Falmouth Harbor and Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, 2009-2010

Site Description

Click on figures for larger images
thumbnail image of figure 2 and link to larger figure . A photograph of tripods
Figure 2. Map of portions of southeastern Massachusetts, Cape Cod, and Buzzards Bay. Moorings in Buzzards Bay and Cape Cod Canal are indicated with a red circle and mooring number (859, 860, and 862). Bathymetric contours are in meters.
thumbnail image of figure 3 and link to larger figure 3. A map of mooring locations in West Falmouth Harbor
Figure 3. Map of West Falmouth Harbor, Massachusetts. Moorings in West Falmouth Harbor are indicated with a red circle and mooring number (882, 883, 884, 885, 886, 887, 888, 900, and 901). Bathymetric contours are in meters. FWTP, Falmouth Wastewater Treatment Plant.
thumbnail image of figure 4 and link to larger figure 4. A photograph of tripods
Figure 4. Tripods prior to deployment in Buzzards Bay (moorings 859, 860).
Thumbnail image of figure 6 and link to larger figure 6. A schematic of beam spread for RDI ADCP deployed on pier
Figure 6. Position and schematic of beam spread for the SL-ADCP deployed on pier, facing entrance channel to West Falmouth Harbor (mooring 901). Actual beams traveled over 20 m into the channel before interference with the channel bed and water surface (due to beam vertical spreading).
Thumbnail image of figure 7 and link to larger figure 7. A photograph of Nortek Aquadrop and Se Bird 39 pt sensor
Figure 7. Upward-looking Nortek Aquadopp and Sea-Bird 39 PT sensor deployed on the seabed (moorings 882, 885, 887). White paste on transducers is zinc oxide, used to reduce biological growth that interferes with signal transmission.

Thumbnail image of figure 8 and link to larger figure 8. A photograph of Satlantic ISUS nitrate sensor
Figure 8. Satlantic ISUS nitrate sensor and YSI 6920 multiparameter sonde deployed on floating dock at 0.12 meters below surface (mooring 883).
Thumbnail image of figure 9 and link to larger figure 9. A photograph of Sea-Bird MicroCATs
Figure 9. Sea-Bird MicroCATs deployed on a vertical tower array (mooring 884). Three sensors were mounted on this array at 0.33 meters above bottom (not visible), 0.55 meters above bottom, and 0.77 meters above bottom.
Thumbnail image of figure 10 and link to larger figure 10. A photograph of Aanderaa RCM9
Figure 10. Aanderaa RCM9 with optical dissolved oxygen (DO) probe and YSI 6920 multiparameter sonde, deployed on the seabed using a pedestal mount (mooring 886) 0.3 meters above bottom. Mooring 888 used a similar mount, with only a YSI multiparameter sonde.
Thumbnail image of figure 11 and link to larger figure 11. A photograph of Aanderaa RCM9 on seabed
Figure 11. Aanderaa RCM9 with acoustic velocity meter and optical dissolved oxygen (DO) probe mounted on seabed (mooring 900).
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2009

Mooring 859: Buzzards Bay North

This site is located on the northwest side of Buzzards Bay (fig. 2), in 9.6  m of water. A tripod was deployed on the bed, with two upward-looking ADCPs, a pressure-temperature sensor, a conductivity-temperature sensor, and a transmissometer (fig. 4).

Mooring 860: Buzzards Bay South  

This site is located on the eastern edge of Buzzards Bay (fig. 2), in 15.3 m of water. A tripod was deployed on the bed, with two upward-looking ADCPs, a pressure-temperature sensor, and a conductivity-temperature sensor (fig. 4).

Moorings 861 and 862: Cape Cod Canal at Massachusetts Maritime Academy

This site is located at the southwest entrance to the Cape Cod Canal, at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy (fig. 2).  A side-looking ADCP was deployed on the rudder of the T/S Kennedy at 4 m below the surface (861), and a pressure-temperature and conductivity-temperature sensor were deployed on the bed adjacent to the ship (862).

Mooring 901: Mouth of West Falmouth Harbor

This site is located on the dock on the south side of the West Falmouth Harbor entrance (fig. 3). A side-looking ADCP was mounted between dock pilings, with a multiparameter sonde deployed adjacent to the ADCP (fig. 6).

2010

Moorings 882, 883, and 884: Mashapaquit Creek

This site is located at the northeast corner of the harbor, where the tidal Mashapaquit Creek meets the harbor (fig.3).  An I-frame mounted upward-looking ADCP along with PT sensor was deployed in 1 m of water (882), landward of the Nashawena Street bridge. A multiparameter sonde and nitrate sensor were mounted on a floating dock 100 m landward of the bridge (883; fig. 8), on the north side of the creek, approximately 0.1 m below the water surface. A vertical pole with three CT sensors was deployed 2 m from the dock, with sensors spaced at 0.33, 0.55 and 0.77 mab (fig. 9).

Moorings 885 and 886: Inner-Middle Harbor Junction  

This site is located adjacent to the navigation channel that connects the middle harbor to the outer harbor of West Falmouth Harbor, in 3 m of water (fig. 3). This site consisted of an I-frame mounted upward-looking ADCP and PT sensor (885; fig. 7), and a bed-mounted multiparameter sonde on a pedestal mount (886; fig. 10). Also attached to the pedestal mount was an optical dissolved oxygen probe.

Moorings 887 and 888: Mouth of West Falmouth Harbor  

This site is located adjacent to the harbor entrance channel in 3 m of water (fig. 3). This site consisted of a bed-mounted upward-looking ADCP with a PT sensor on an I-frame (887), and a bed-mounted multiparameter sonde on a pedestal mount (888).

Mooring 900: South Cove of West Falmouth Harbor 

This site is located in the south cove of the harbor, in 1 m of water (fig. 3). This site consisted of a board-mounted optical dissolved oxygen probe and fig. 11).

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