Last August, a 3,000-pound, eight-by-22 foot-robotic platform
was launched into the Hudson River just north of Denning’s Point
Peninsula in Beacon, N.Y. On board the floating platform are
state-of-the-art sensors that will provide continuous air and
water monitoring including barometric pressure, wind speed and
direction, water depth, temperature, salinity and flow rate. The
sensors will also measure the levels of hydrogen contaminants,
dissolved oxygen, and chlorophyll-a (a green pigment found in
algae). The data will be transferred in real time to researchers
who can track fluctuations in these measurements. The
information provides a detailed record of the overall health of
the river. This will alert scientists and environmentalists to
escalating pollution levels or to episodic events that can be
problematic, such as algae blooms, which can lead to hypoxia.
Hypoxia is characterized by a low concentration of oxygen that
is exacerbated by increases in nutrients or a particular set of
physical conditions. It