A United Kingdom Lake Ecological Observatory Network
Lead Research Organisation:
NERC CEH (Up to 30.11.2019)
Department Name: Parr
Abstract
Lake systems play a fundamental role in storing and providing freshwater and food, in supporting recreation and in protecting species diversity. However, the stability of these ecosystem services can be undermined by the increased demands society makes upon these systems and changes in atmospheric composition and lake water balance that arise through a societal-mediated changing climate. To safeguard against such loss of functioning there is in place legally-binding national and European directives that set stringent targets for water quality and biodiversity. Meeting these targets requires a detailed understanding of lake processes that in turn requires measurements at an appropriate temporal scale. Traditional monitoring, of at best weekly-fortnightly intervals, is sufficient to record seasonal change but cannot resolve the processes driving many aspects of lake function. To resolve these processes we need to 'hear every note in the full symphony of lake functioning', with such resolution only viable through semi-continuous measurement of parameters that are key reflectors of lake functioning. We are fortunate that deployed in eleven lakes across the UK, of different size, altitude, latitude and nutrient status, are basic systems automated to make such measurements, Automatic Water Quality Monitoring Stations (AWQMS). However at present, most buoys are restricted to a meteorological station and temperature measurements. A few have other probes to measure water quality, but these are subject to biofouling which could compromise the data. At present, the data are mainly downloaded by telemetry to the host-site via a range of procedures. Thus we are not utilising advances in data-logger-, computer- and sensor-technology to measure automatically at high frequency and 'hear the full symphony'. We propose to change this by installing stable, state-of-the-art sensor technology, with mechanical devices to minimise biofouling. Further, we will maximise the value of generating this high frequency data by linking together the lakes in a sensor network to deliver quality-controlled data onto the internet for analysis by project partners, the wider scientific community and the general public. Such infrastructure investment needs to reflect the need for high quality measurement from science-driven agendas. We will demonstrate such a network supports these agendas through the following projects: DST1: Real-time forecasting of lake behaviour: We will incorporate the real-time data available from the sensor network into a forecast system for lake phytoplankton behaviour and, in particular, to provide warning for the onset of phytoplankton blooms. DST2: The effect of meteorology on the fate of carbon within lakes: We will track pool and flux variability of dissolved carbon dioxide over daily to seasonal time scales. By relating these measurements to meteorological and within-lake physico-chemical measurements within and between sites we are better equipped to define critical controls on the lake carbon cycle. DST3: The level of regional coherence in sub-seasonal timescales: Lakes can show a regionally coherent response e.g. strong links exist between air and surface water temperature; large-scale weather patterns such as the position of north wall of the Gulf Stream have also been shown to influence directly the regional coherence of lakes. Use of high resolution data to examine coherence in lake temperatures has just begun but as yet no-one has investigated coherence of biological, chemical or wider physical variables on these short time-scales, an approach which is viable through this network. In summary, this sensor network of AWQMSs, offering detail of observation through high resolution data generation and the new instrumentation will demonstrate not only the value of observing the environment remotely and in detail, but the benefit from integration systems to offer real advances in environmental science.
Organisations
- NERC CEH (Up to 30.11.2019) (Lead Research Organisation)
- Dundalk Institute of Technology (Collaboration)
- Natural Resources Wales (Project Partner)
- OTT Hydrometry Ltd (Project Partner)
- Agri Food and Biosciences Institute (Project Partner)
- UK Astronomy Technology Centre (Project Partner)
- Snowdonia National Park Authority (Project Partner)
- Environment Agency (Project Partner)
- Aberystwyth University (Project Partner)
Publications
Bertilsson S
(2013)
The under-ice microbiome of seasonally frozen lakes
in Limnology and Oceanography
Dugan Hilary A.
(2016)
Consequences of gas flux model choice on the interpretation of metabolic balance across 15 lakes
in INLAND WATERS
Page T
(2017)
Constraining uncertainty and process-representation in an algal community lake model using high frequency in-lake observations
in Ecological Modelling
Page T
(2018)
Adaptive forecasting of phytoplankton communities.
in Water research
Read EK
(2015)
The importance of lake-specific characteristics for water quality across the continental United States.
in Ecological applications : a publication of the Ecological Society of America
Rusak J
(2018)
Wind and trophic status explain within and among-lake variability of algal biomass
in Limnology and Oceanography Letters
Winslow Luke A.
(2016)
LakeMetabolizer: an R package for estimating lake metabolism from free-water oxygen using diverse statistical models
in INLAND WATERS
Woolway R
(2015)
A comparison of the diel variability in epilimnetic temperature for five lakes in the English Lake District
in Inland Waters
Woolway R
(2015)
Altitudinal dependence of a statistically significant diel temperature cycle in Scottish lochs
in Inland Waters
Description | A United Kingdom Lake Ecological Observatory Network. The network is now built. New loggers have been programmed and new sensors installed. A new station has been installed on Lough Erne in Northern Ireland. A large amount of effort has gone into managing the data effectively. A Loader routine has been designed and built by project partners which collects the data via telemetry from each of the 11 buoys. A database to store and quality control the data that arrives from the loader software has been designed and constructed. A viewer which plots different types of data for different periods of time has been designed to display the data to the general public as well as the project partners. Finally an interface has been produced for the project partners to query and download the data for further analysis. Scientific analysis of the data has taken place. A PhD student funded by a manufacturer that has supplied much of the instrumentation has analysed high-frequency temperature data. The PhD student and both post-docs have successfully completely. Several peer-reviewed papers have been published. |
Exploitation Route | Demonstration of the value of high-frequency monitoring and sensor networks in environmental science. Databasing and data handling techniques developed transferable to other areas. Real-time modelling of algal blooms of value to lake regulators and water companies. |
Sectors | Environment |
Description | European training course |
Geographic Reach | Europe |
Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
Description | MSc course teaching |
Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
Description | Member of GLEON Collaborative Climate Committee |
Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
Policy Influence Type | Membership of a guideline committee |
Description | ENVISION Doctoral Training Programme |
Amount | £8,750 (GBP) |
Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 09/2015 |
End | 03/2019 |
Description | NERC Big data Capital award |
Amount | £230,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 03/2014 |
End | 03/2015 |
Title | Data upload procedures |
Description | Automatic uploading of high-frequency data from the 11 monitoring stations around the UK into a central database which produces hourly and daily summary averages with quality control information. |
Type Of Material | Data handling & control |
Year Produced | 2014 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | Efficient and secure method for handling large volumes of data. |
Title | Data viewer |
Description | Viewer to visualise near real time data for project partners and the general public. |
Type Of Material | Data analysis technique |
Year Produced | 2014 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | Data visualisation and knowledge transfer. |
URL | http://data.ecn.ac.uk/ukleon/ |
Description | COST Action NETLAKE |
Organisation | Dundalk Institute of Technology |
Country | Ireland |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Data, expertise and leadership, plus transfer of knowledge on maintaining and interpreting data from high-frequency monitoring lake buoys. |
Collaborator Contribution | COST Action paying for travel and subsistence to network with over 25 groups across Europe. |
Impact | Student training: outgoing- PhD from the project to New Zealand; incoming- PhD student from Denmark. |
Start Year | 2012 |
Title | Lake Heat Flux Analyzer |
Description | Web-based tool for calculating heat fluxes from high resolution lake monitoring data |
Type Of Technology | Webtool/Application |
Year Produced | 2015 |
Impact | Publication of paper describing the software, now getting cited. |
Description | Invited talk and demonstration (Cumbria) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Invited talk and demonstration about the use of automated lake monitoring buoys to the 'Cumbrian Lakes Research Forum'. Participants in the forum included all sectors engaged in study, use and management of lakes in Cumbria. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
Description | NERC 'Into the Blue' |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Demonstrating the use of automated sensors for monitoring the environment to members of the public. Organised by NERC. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |
Description | Sensor demonstration at Freshwater Biological Association annual open-day |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Demonstrating the use of automated sensors to measure the lake environment to members of the general public and other attendees at the open day of an ecological charity. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2016 |