RTOMS Water Quality - Ocean Monitoring Program

The Ocean Monitoring Program maintains two RTOMS in partnership with Scripps Institute of Oceanography. RTOMS are anchored buoys suspended in the water column configured with a range of instruments at multiple depths, collecting near continuous physical, chemical, and biological data and providing near real-time information of changing conditions. The RTOMS are located near the terminal ends of the Point Loma (PLOO) and South Bay (SBOO) ocean outfalls and are typically deployed for one-year intervals. These high temporal resolution data are intended to enhance the assessment of environmental conditions and the potential impacts of oceanographic and anthropogenic events in coastal waters. These datasets have undergone quality control review. To access charts of provisional real-time data, see the Scripps website.

Disclaimer

RTOMS data undergo several checks, including preliminary automated checks and further manual review by Marine Biology and Ocean Operations staff. Inaccuracies in the data may persist due to subtle instrument problems or the lack of appropriate validation data, and subsequent review may result in future revisions to the data. For example, when water sample data for spectrophotometric pH and total alkalinity become available, these may be used to qualify or correct pH data. For nitrate/nitrite data, when available, water samples have been used to drift correct sensor data, and corrected data are provided when available. In addition, data downloaded directly from controllers and instruments may be used to fill in some data gaps in the future.