Overview

The ReefGrid project has been set up to develop technologies for long-range environmental sensor networks for monitoring marine ecosystems in tropical areas. Technologies developed here will be be directly relevant to the Great Barrier Reef Ocean Observing System (GBROOS), which is part of the Intergrated Marine Observing System NCRIS capability area. This program is the first substantial long-range sensor network for remote reef monitoring in the world.

The Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is an important ecosystem both in economic and natural heritage terms. The sensor-network-technologies ReefGrid is developing allow the GBR to be monitored in greater spatial and temporal detail than has been possible previously. Long-term deployment of these sensor networks will generate datasets that are more comprehensive than those currently available. These datasets will help scientists to understand the physical and biological dynamics of the GBR. This understanding combined with the data will also allow the health of the GBR to be assessed, which is threatened by the effects of climate change, tourism, fishing, and pollutants.

Sensor Networks

Sensor Networks are a rapidly evolving set of technologies that will be transformative in many areas of our day to day lives. A report by the NSF in the USA on the Sensor Revolution describes why and how sensor networks are such a hot research topic. Sensors are becoming smaller and smarter, wireless technologies allow them to deployed without cables. Understanding of our natural environment is an area that will benefit greatly from an ability to monitor conditions in far greater detail than ever before.

Technologies

To build the sensor networks described above a very wide range of problems need to be overcome. The marine environment is harsh and deploying sensors that are able to survive extended deployments requires careful engineering. However, as complicated as the deployment issues are, they are just the beginning of the story. A feature of ReefGrid is that the sensors are connected to each other and the world in wired and wireless networks. Sensor Networks are an emerging technology and the systems to get the data from an individual sensor to scientists are a key focus for research in ReefGrid. The diagram below shows the flow of data from the sensor to the user. As you can see, there is a lot to do.

Partners

A project with the complexity of ReefGrid requires collaboration between a disparate range of researchers and institutions. The original ReefGrid project is a collaborative effort between JCU, QCIF, AIMS@JCU, AIMS and UQ. The JCU branch of the Dart Project has provided a great deal of support and expertise to the project. We also have informal relationships with many other institutions.

Background

The ReefGrid project has evolved from a concept developed by Ian Atkinson at JCU and Stuart Kininmonth at AIMS. Their vision was to see a network of monitoring stations across the Great Barrier Reef with data streaming back to scientists on the mainland. It was obvious from an early stage that this brainchild was going to need a multidisciplinary approach to see reality.

In late 2004 Stuart and Ian enlisted the help of Graham Woods, Head of Electrical Engineering at JCU, to help them with the difficult task of sending data from remote stations on the reef back to the mainland. They demonstrated the viability of long-range, low-power microwave communications along humidity ducts in tropical oceans. This was an essential breakthrough, providing the technology to link the sensor networks with the mainland.

In late 2005, Queensland Cyber Infrastructure Foundation (QCIF, formerly QPSF) provided funding to get the ReefGrid network started. This initial project was for the initial deployment of a microwave communications system on Davies Reef along with a basic sensor package. This was to be followed by extending the sensor network at Davies and to new locations on the Great Barrier Reef.

2007 will see a significant boost to ReefGrid as it links with GBROOS - the Great Barrier Reef Ocean Observing System. This is one of the nodes of the Integrated Marine Observation System (IMOS), part of the NCRIS capability areas of investment.