Project Niu launches ocean sensor

On January 30, 2009, Project Niu deployed three satellite-tracked ocean drifters into the Pacific Ocean from Honolulu, Hawaii to help K-12 students learn about marine debris and mankind's impact on the oceans.

The drifter devices are each called "Niu", which is the Hawaiian word for "coconut", because they will float on the surface and be carried like currents, much like coconuts do. The difference is that these coconuts are equipped with satellite modems, GPS modules, temperature sensors, accelerometers to measure wave height, digital cameras, and an array of other sensors. Students will be monitoring where the Niu devices go with the currents, knowing full well that marine debris (a fancy phrase that often just means "trash") follows the same path out to sea. The students have all seen the impact of plastic and derelict fishing gear on marine animals, so now they are seeing firsthand how pollution can reach distant uninhabited islands, like those in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• ocean
• education
• satellite
• gps
• hawaii