Xylem’s YSI data buoy provides water-quality data for mussel farmers

South Coast Mariculture wanted to better understand the water quality conditions of their mussel farms in Jervis Bay, located in New South Wales, Australia. After deploying Xylem’s YSI buoy with EXO2 multiparameter sonde, they now have data that can help them increase productivity, better understand the water column, and expand their aquaculture business.

“We're farming the pristine waters of Jervis Bay and Twofold Bay, producing quality seafood for everybody in New South Wales, Queensland, and beyond, says Hika Rountree, Operations Manager, South Coast Mariculture. “All data is invaluable to us as marine farmers. Things like water temperature, chlorophyll, salinity – they're all measures that can help us improve the growth of our mussels.”

South Coast Mariculture now receives this data from Xylem’s YSI buoy, equipped with a EXO2 multiparameter sonde. The solution measures pH, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, algae, current speed measurements and weather conditions. The rugged yet light DB1750 buoy has been deployed in over 40 countries and is designed to have lower long-term maintenance costs.

“These data sets will help us improve the times of the year that we seed our mussels, the times of the year that we harvest our mussels, and we don't have to get out on the ocean,” Rountree says. “We can still monitor what's going on with our farm without having to get out there, thanks to the water monitoring buoy.”

Learn more about the solution

Combining low power and field-proven solutions, the DB1750 buoy is an ideal platform for analyzing and monitoring environmental and meteorological conditions in ports, coastal waters and open oceans.

The EXO Multiparameter Sonde includes a range of sensor and parameter options that provide a wider view of watersheds, and its ultra-durable components enable long-term deployments to measure trends over time.