December 18th 2020
Say hi to BOB!
If you happened to hike to Lac Hertel this November, you may have noticed a new research instrument floating on the surface of the lake. That instrument is BOB Hertel, or the Bouée d’Observation Biologique du lac Hertel. BOB’s job is to continuously measure environmental variables of the lake. It measures the temperature and the concentration of dissolved oxygen in the water at every metre of depth, along with pH, chlorophyll, turbidity, conductivity and oxidation-reduction potential at a fixed distance in the water column.
The data collected by BOB will help us understand the dynamics of Lac Hertel and how it changes through time. BOB’s main advantage is the ability to transmit data in real time. We are working closely with the Geographic Information Centre of McGill University to create a portal that will streamline access to data for research and teaching purposes.
BOB was made possible through funding from the Liber Ero Chair in Conservation Biology program at McGill University.
Thank you to professors Irene Gregory-Eaves, Gregor Fussmann, Peter Douglas and Andrew Gonzalez for their contributions to this project.
Special thanks to Gregory Langston, research assistant for installing and taking such good care of BOB.
