aquatic center overlooking the lake during sunset

IWER Field Station

Dyacon Weather Station

weather station

The Institute’s weather station is here! The station measures key environmental parameters, including precipitation, air temperature, barometric pressure, humidity, wind speed and direction, solar radiation and soil moisture. These environmental data allow us to monitor local weather conditions and compile long-term climate records of the region. Long-term records help us accurately predict weather patterns, evaluate the impact of weather conditions on local wetland systems and offer insight into the potential damages of increased storm activity.

Live Measurements

The weather station is programmed to collect measurements every ten minutes! Live readings can be viewed on the Institute’s Dyacon webpage.

In-Situ Level Gauges and Multiparameter Sondes

The IWER field station has several water level gauges and multiparameter sondes. Water level gauges continuously track changes in water temperature, water elevation, barometric pressure and water pressure. The Institute has deployed two water level gauges at the Sandra Stetson Aquatic Center: one gauge is monitoring conditions within the stormwater retention pond and the other unit is installed along the shoreline of Lake Beresford. Through collaborations with the Riverside Conservancy in Edgewater, FL, the City of Cape Canaveral, and the City of Satellite Beach, IWER has deployed multiple water level gauges throughout the Indian River Lagoon system.

Multiparameter water quality sondes can be equipped with a variety of different sensors, including temperature, conductivity, pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), turbidity, chlorophyll a (Chl-a) and blue green algae (BGA-PC). With the flexibility for both short and long-term deployments, these sondes serve as an excellent resource for studying water quality at local and regional scales. Similar to the water level gauges, IWER has deployed one sonde in the stormwater retention pond and another along the shoreline of Lake Beresford to actively monitor water quality within these systems.

Environmental Data

Deployed water level gauges collect measurements every 15 minutes while multiparameter sondes take readings every hour. Recorded measurements are uploaded every 1-2 hours and can be viewed on the Institute’s  HydroVu webpage

Deployments

deployment 1 outside
deployment 2 outside

Locus Sonus Audio Stream

The IWER field station hosts a 24/7 live audio stream from the Sandra Stetson Aquatic Center. We are using stereo microphones positioned on the rear of the building to stream sound directly from the shore of Lake Beresford to a dedicated server. From anywhere in the world, it's possible to listen to the soundscape live.

Overnight and pre-dawn, you will often hear frogs and insects chorusing. During the day, you will hear various birds, including osprey and hawks that like to perch in a nearby pine tree and sandhill cranes that sometimes visit the shoreline. Florida thunderstorms can be powerful sonic events whenever they pass through. You will also hear the train whistle and clatter passing through daily via the tracks found on the opposite shore. Finally, because this is an actively used building, you will occasionally hear people and their associated sounds throughout the day.

This live stream is part of the Locus Sonus soundmap project which promotes and supports a network of similar open-mics throughout the world. IWER's stream was established by Chaz Underriner and Nathan Wolek in 2020, with assistance from student Jose I Moncayo Arteaga.

Operational support for the development of the IWER field station and laboratory infrastructure was made possible through the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations.