State of Alabama FINAL Coastal Impact Assistance Program (CIAP ...

SPENDING ESTIMATE PER CALENDAR YEAR OF PROJECT
DURATION:
AL-21
2008 $ 100,000.00
2009 $ -
2010 $ -
2011 $ -
GOAL: The goal of this project is to facilitate management research of Alabama’s coastal environment
through improved data collection systems, enhanced research infrastructure, and upgrades of
research tools.
OBJECTIVE: The objective of this project is to contribute CIAP funding to purchase and install a
continuous and real-time weather and water quality recording station in Bon Secour
Bay.
It is a priority of the State of Alabama CIAP to support coastal observing systems as these systems
provide much-needed data to understand and manage complex estuarine systems. The collection of
continuous, real-time observations in coastal Alabama began with support of the first CIAP program,
administered by NOAA in 2001. Since then, Dauphin Island Sea Lab and the Mobile Bay National
Estuary Program have partnered with the University of South Alabama, Weeks Bay National Estuarine
Research Reserve, the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, State Land
Division, Coastal Programs, EPA’s Gulf of Mexico Program and the Alabama Lighthouse Association to
provide real-time data at four sites in the Mobile Bay area. Parameters being monitored at these sites
include wind speed, wind direction, air temperature, barometric pressure, photosynthetically active
radiation, precipitation, water temperature, dissolved oxygen, water height, and salinity. Real-time data
are available in a user-friendly format at www.mymobilebay.com. This informative website describes and
graphs each parameter. Researchers may download the data in a spreadsheet format any time for further
analysis. Data from these stations can also be accessed through the National Data Buoy Center at
http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov/maps/Alabama_inset.shtml.
Through a partnership among the State of Alabama, Baldwin County, and Mobile County monitoring
sites will be added to complete an east-west transect in the coastal area of Alabama (AL-20, BC-9 and
MC-9). This project will construct data collection devices and support the operation of the network for
two years. The costs associated with the implementation of each monitor include salaries (data manager,
technician, and project manager), boat and vehicle expenses, and other expendables. The State of
Alabama will contribute CIAP funding to purchase, install and support operation of a monitor in Bon
Secour Bay, partnering with funding from NOAA (30˚ 17’ 23.06” N 87˚47’ 46.7” W). Baldwin County
will fund the purchase, installation and operation of a monitor in Perdido Bay (30˚ 19’ 52.01” N 87˚ 28’
State of Alabama Final Coastal Impact Assistance Program Plan
State of Alabama Tier One Project Descriptions
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