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Nutrient Sensor Action Challenge

Nutrient Sensor
The University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) and Maryland Department of Natural Resources were named one of five winners of a $10,000 Stage 1 Prize in the Environmental Protection Agency's national Nutrient Sensor Action Challenge.

UMCES and Maryland Department of Natural Resources worked together to detail a plan for using newly developed nutrient sensors to explore questions related to the infilling of Conowingo Dam and how storm events will impact water quality in the Chesapeake Bay. The project would place two sensors in the Upper Chesapeake Bay to provide data on the speed and extent of nutrient pulses into the Bay during storm events. This can help validate models for Chesapeake Bay restoration and give insight into the effect these nutrients - nitrogen and phosphorous - will have on algal blooms and dead zones in the estuary.

NSAC logoThe Nutrient Sensor Action Challenge is a collaboration between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)-led U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (U.S. IOOS).
Nutrient Sensor 1 is installed at the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Eyes on the Bay 'Arundel on the Bay' station.
Nutrient Sensor 2 is installed at the Maryland Department of Natural Resources Eyes on the Bay 'Dares Beach Pier' station.
Both stations are located on the Chesapeake Bay, MD, USA.


Nutrient Data Charts:

The charts below display all recorded nutrient data records since deployment at Arundel on the Bay. Right-click in the chart area to display menu options, and mouseover datapoints to see data details.

Nutrient Sensor 1: Arundel on the Bay
Most Recent Data Record: 1/2/19 10:01:57

Nutrient Sensor PO4 Chart
Nutrient Sensor NO3 Chart
Note: Instrument malfunctioned 11/9 - 11/14/18. Erroneous values have been censored from the charts, but are available in the data download.


Nutrient Sensor 2: Dare's Beach
Most Recent Data Record: 1/1/19 07:01:37

Nutrient Sensor PO4 Chart
Nutrient Sensor NO3 Chart

Nutrient Data Download:

Use the following query tool to download desired raw data for the Nutrient Sensor Challenge from both the 'Arundel on the Bay [AOB]' Station and the 'Dare's Beach [DAB]' Station. Data will also download with sample date and sample time in Easterm Daylight Time (EDT) format.

Select Parameters and a Date Range,
then "Submit Data Query"
1. Select Parameter(s):
2. Enter Date Range:
Select / De-select All Parameters

NO3 (ppm)
PO4 (ppb)
Start Date:
   (≥ 10/02/18)


End Date:
   (≤ 01/02/19)




Please be patient while your data are retrieved.

Check your "Downloads" folder for your file, which will be named: "NutrientSensorData_'StartDate'to'EndDate'.csv".


Note: Current year data are provisional and have not yet been through our rigorous Quality Assurance procedures.