Category: Professional Spotlight

Professional Spotlight: Santa Cruz Harbor Sediment Mapping

Blake Anderson is the harbormaster at the Santa Cruz Harbor in California. As harbormaster he oversees all the operations of the harbor, harbor patrol staff, which includes search and rescue, law enforcement and public safety. He also oversees administration of about 1000 boat slips and day to day operations of the harbor. 6 years ago, Blake was faced with the challenge of rapidly mapping the constant shifting sand shoals in the harbor and turned his attention to BioBase as a potentially rapid mapping system

Continue reading “Professional Spotlight: Santa Cruz Harbor Sediment Mapping”

Professional Spotlight – Power Plant Biologist

Professional Spotlight BioBase

For this Professional Spotlight the BioBase team sat down with a biologist at a power plant. They use BioBase to evaluate risk of cooling water intake blockage from aquatic vegetation.  This is one of many methods they use ensure abundant cooling water is available for the redundant intake systems.   In 2012, invasive zebra mussels invaded the system and paved the way for aquatic vegetation by clearing the water.  They map aquatic vegetation during the growing season and use the polygon tool to measure percent area covered and biovolume in the areas of interest.  Aquatic vegetation management recommendations are based on this data.  Before BioBase they took samples using a rake to determine what species were present and estimate the total biovolume. Now using BioBase they can easily measure biovolume at location with ease.

When asked why they chose to use BioBase they responded, “the value, there are a lot of options out there, most are expensive, but BioBase is not.”  Even at a low cost “it still produces very reliable data, BioBase is a high value product.”

Continue reading “Professional Spotlight – Power Plant Biologist”

Professional Spotlight – LakeTech – Eli Kersh

Professional Spotlight BioBase

Eli Kersh started a consulting firm, e-limnology, in 2016 and used it to provide services for customers as a side business where his current employer had gaps. He primarily provided mapping for customers and his business took off. Eventually he found a niche and e-limnology transformed into its current form Lake Tech. Lake Tech is on the forefront of new products and technologies for lake management. He is always trying to have a practical approach to lake management and rely heavily on new technologies that demonstrate value and ultimately simplifies lake management to make it more accessible to the public.

Continue reading “Professional Spotlight – LakeTech – Eli Kersh”

Professional Spotlight – Dr. Chris Harrod and Chilean Kelp Mapping

Professional Spotlight

The Professional Spotlight series is a deep dive into the global BioBase community where we highlight the unique ways sonar driven mapping is assisting research, conservation and sustainability.

The BioBase team sat down with Dr. Chris Harrod for a look into how he uses BioBase. Chris (from the UK) is a full professor of Fish and Aquatic Ecology at the University of Antofagasta in Antofagasta, Chile. He does a mixture of research, teaching, and administration tasks but our interest with him was the applied research techniques for which he was using BioBase. His research is focused on a macroalgae called kelp (aka seaweed) and its importance as a source of food/energy to fish and invertebrates in the coastal zone. He is also interested in how kelp can function as habitat, food, an anchor of sediment and even slow the turbulent waters of the Pacific Ocean.

Continue reading “Professional Spotlight – Dr. Chris Harrod and Chilean Kelp Mapping”

Translate »
%d bloggers like this: