Sand Key C-MAN station going off line (fwd)

[Coral Health and Monitoring Program]

Forwarded message regarding the Sand Key C-MAN station situated at the 
southern end of the Florida Straits: 

---------- Forwarded message ---------- 
Date: Mon, 15 Apr 1996 12:36:05 EST 
From: James C. Humphrey <HUMPHRJ1 at mail.firn.edu> 
To: hendee at aoml.noaa.gov 
Cc: svargo at marine.usf.edu, jogden at marine.usf.edu 
Subject: sand key going offline 

	The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (F.I.O.) enhanced Coastal 
Marine Automated Network (C-MAN) stations are operated through a 
cooperative agreement with the National Data Buoy Center (N.D.B.C.).  The 
network stations have been installed at Fowey Rocks, Molasses reef, 
Sombrero reef, Sand Key reef, Florida Bay, and the Dry Tortugas. The 
C-MAN stations normally only carry a meteorological suite of sensors, but 
can be enhanced with oceanographic sensors.  The data collected at the 
enhanced stations include: wind speed, direction and peak gust, barometric 
pressure, air temperature, solar irradiance, seawater temperature, 
salinity, and underwater solar irradiance. Solar irradiances are currently 
not available at Sombrero or Molasses, furthermore, salinity is not 
available at Sombrero. 

	The Sand Key Meteorological station, and its oceanographic sensors 
will be taken off-line.  These actions have been planned since October 
1995, but only now have been scheduled to be carried out, unless there is 
financial support for this station.  The National Weather Service feels 
Boca Chita measurements are sufficient, and Sand Key is a redundant 
measurement. 

	If the station is taken off-line, we not only lose accurate 
oceanic wind measurements, we lose the Coast Guard permit to use the 
station and the only long term environmental reef tract monitoring station 
in Key West.  The cost to reconstruct the present station is over four 
times the amount to keep it running at current levels. 

	With increased large vessel harbor traffic in Key West, and ocean 
related tourism at its highest level yet, Sand Key meteorological station 
is needed more than ever. 

	Please call your local congress representative to support this 
project. 

	Thanks, 

	J.Chris Humphrey 
	(field manager) 
	(305)664-9101