Development of Sargassum Seaweed Tracking Tools

By accurately measuring and predicting ocean currents we can influence multiple industries including commercial fishing, recreational boating, shipping, and tourism, as well as assist with hazardous material cleanup (i.e. oil and chemical spills) and aid in search and rescue missions. Surface current data was collected from five (5) High Frequency (HF) radar stations located on the west and south coast of Puerto Rico. The surface currents from the HF radar were compared against the Navy Coastal Ocean Model (NCOM) for the American Seas (AMSEAS) as well as surface drifters that were deployed in April 2017. In the Mona Passage the flow is predominantly from south to north at a monthly average of 15 cm/s in the central part of the passage. On the south shore of Puerto Rico, the flow is predominantly from east to west at a monthly average of 18 cm/s. The surface current data around Puerto Rico was used as one component of a Sargassum seaweed tracking system was developed by the authors. Satellite data made available by the University of South Florida was used to calculate the location and amount of Sargassum around Puerto Rico. By collecting high spatial and temporal resolution information on the ocean currents, as well as fine tuning the ocean models to make them more accurate this can better predict the movement of items floating on the surface like Sargassum or a person lost at sea. This paper will also chronicle the repair of the HF radar network after Hurricane Maria in September 2017.