The sea kayak experience
The sea kayak experience: Citizen training during seakayaker´s week in Aurich, Northern Germany, 2014
Location Aurich/Spiekeroog, Germany
Can we do Citclops measurements from kayaks?
There are many water-sports activities that are conducted by communities which are interested in Citclops measurements. Some of these, such as sailing or fishing often come along with platforms from which Forel-Ule -, Secchi - and fluorescence measurement can be applied, such as larger boats or piers. But what about surfboards, canoes or kayaks, which are naturally a shakily issue and exposed to waves and water, so that most mobile phones are kept either safe on land or in waterproof covers?
From 5 – 6 of August 2014 we held a Citclops citizen training during the annual meeting of the Salzwasser Union in Aurich, Northern Germany. The integration of this course to the kayaker´s week, and a field trip to the island Spiekeroog was organised by Urs Steiner and Maike Klemme. The training started with a theoretical introduction on Citclops, bio-optical measurements and the use of our Citclops App in the base camp in Aurich. On the next day, theory was followed by hands-on training. Weather conditions were ideal for measurements, with blue sky and minimal wave actions. Starting in the harbour of Neuharlingersiel, 14 kayakers and the two Citclops instructors paddled to the island of Spiekeroog and back. During the trip, we stopped for measurements at five stations, including the time-series station of the ICBM/Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg , which holds a variety of sensors for comparisons of measurements. One additional stop was to meet and greet colleagues and captain of the ICBM research boat Navicula in the Wadden Sea.
Citclops measurements were successfully conducted on-board the kayak. In particular, the use of the Secchi disk, the Citclops plastic Forel-Ule scale, as well as fluorescence measurements with a portable sensor proved feasible, when the kayak was balanced by colleagues. Also, first tests on the influence of waterproof housings for smart phones and cameras were conducted by the participants. Data will be analysed by Citclops partners UNIOL, NIOZ, CSIC and VUA and we will then give feedback here on the Citclops website.
We thank all participants for their enthusiasm and dedication to this Kayak4Citclops operation! After this success, we are planning to conduct a second kayaker´s Citclops training during the kayaker´s symposium in Llançà at the NW Mediterranean coast of Spain, in cooperation with the Salzwasser Union and the Catalonian club Pagaia Club de Caiac Cap de Creus .