We will be establishing a series of fixed platforms in both Breton Sound and Barataria along the estuary (wetland, coast, bay) in order to continuously record geophysical, biogeochemical, and ecological variables in each basin.

An agreement for coordinating platform observations has been reached with the United States Geological Survey (USGS). One of the many positive benefits of this agreement is that it will provide real time observations for model simulations of water quality and wetland restoration response to operations of the Caernarvon freshwater control structure in Breton Sound.

As a further complement to our program we are collaborating with WAVCIS. The WAVCIS program is an established array of offshore and inshore oceanographic and meteorological data acquisition systems relayed to LSU in near-real-time format.