Underwater
A View Into the Blue Octopus® High Definition PTZ camera is maintained at 22 feet below water in the Academy Marine Lab seawater intake bay. The camera is on a custom science array sensor rack that is moved weekly for maintenance (and sometimes moved by current and storms). The view is predominantly benthic, with fish (sea perch, stripers, Tautog and other guests), crabs and lobsters active April through January. Tides float seaweeds and marine snow in the water column driven by the 4 to 5 knot currents. Occasionally as daylight fades, you can see the Water Quality YSI Exo-3 SONDE fluorescent sensor, measuring chlorophyll, pH, temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen and other parameters. A unique nitrate sensor on the submerged array is also recording data every 15 minutes, and all are displaying live readings in real time. The data received can be viewed on the Massachusetts Maritime Academy Ocean Data Portal, hosted on our website. If you see a white wiper blade go by, that is what keeps the dome clear and clean.