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Floating Support Facility—a Boat Only a Scientist Could Love By Dennis Krohn and Kim Yates May 2002 in this issue:  previous story | next story Kim Yates stands on the forward deck of a new floating laboratory before its maiden voyage on April 8. Iuri Herzfeld (left) and Nate Smiley (right) are assisting Kim in the staging area of the USGS' St. Petersburg Center for Coastal and Regional Marine Studies. Note equipment-storage area on top. A new houseboat, dubbed the SHARQ Express by Kim Yates of the USGS' St. Petersburg Center for Coastal and Regional Marine Studies (CCRMS), is designed to be a mobile support facility for measuring benthic-community metabolism using the SHARQ—the Submersible Habitat for Assessing Reef Quality. The SHARQ's clear tent traps water over a sea-floor habitat, such as a coral reef, and allows investigators to measure changes in the chemistry of the trapped water caused by the metabolism of the organisms inside the tent. The new boat designed to support SHARQ research was custom built to Kim's specifications by Clark Boats of Iowa. Its unconventional design features two onboard generator systems, a backup suitcase system (a small, portable generator), a laboratory area for performing real-time analysis, a head and shower, sinks, bunks, a small galley, and other amenities necessary for 24-hour monitoring and experiments. The boat sleeps four people. In past years, various platforms have been rented or constructed for SHARQ work, ranging from houseboats to scaffolding. The new houseboat platform, permanently outfitted with SHARQ system components, will eliminate costly rental fees and the logistical difficulties of having to customize SHARQ surface components each time a different support vessel is used. The initial cruise will last 9 days and perform research on Tampa Bay for the Tampa Bay Integrated Science Project. The SHARQ system is routinely used for Tampa Bay, Florida Bay, and Biscayne Bay benthic-habitat monitoring and experimentation. Center for Coastal & Regional Marine Studies U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), St. Petersburg, FL SHARQ (Submersible Habitat for Assessing Reef Quality) Infested Waters U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Open File Report Tampa Bay Pilot Study U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in this issue:  previous story | next story

May 2002 Mailing List: Sign up to receive monthly email updates: print this issue in this issue: cover story: Contaminants Sampling Cruise - San Francisco Ground-Truthing Coral Reef Maps Shorebird Migration CO2 in Saline Aquifers Early Earth Day in Florida Honduras Coral Reef Documentary Online Girl Scouts University Job Fair Sea-Level Rise Lecture Massachusetts Sea-level Rise Briefing New Directions Workshop Floating Support Facility Howell New Patuxent Director WHFC Runners Water-Column Optics Talks Special Emphasis Program New Employees Mendenhall Fellow Presents Talk May Publications List

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