SRVI2 CREWS station removed, August 2015

The SRVI2 CREWS station pictured shortly before its removal (click on photo to see a larger version).

During the week of August 10th - 14th, 2015, the CREWS Station at Salt River Bay, St. Croix was removed. The station had been nonoperational since May 30th, 2014, following a loss of power (as described in an earlier post on this blog). Additionally the station's structural integrity had been compromised by the explosion of one of its underwater instruments on May 28th, 2014. This explosion, whose effects are described in this post and its possible causes explored in this post, left the station unsafe for climbing and effectively ended its useful life.

The CREWS presence at this site dates back to June 15th, 2002, when a station of an older design was first deployed. This earlier station was designated SRVI1 and has its own separate blog.  A brief retrospective history of both SRVI1 and SRVI2 stations can be found in this post.

Towing the station back to shore (click on photo to see a larger version).

The removal operation was a collaborative effort involving Mike Shoemaker (from the Ocean Chemistry and Ecosystems Division of NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic Meteorological Laboratory in Miami), John and Judy Halas (of Environmental Moorings International in the Florida Keys) and Marlon Hibbert (with offices in St. Croix, working with NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program).

The recovered station on land at Salt River Marina, being prepared for disassembly and disposal (click on photo to see a larger version).

It is possible that this station may someday be replaced by a CREWS buoy similar to those that are deployed, for example, in Tobago at Angel's Reef or Buccoo Reef.  However as of January, 2016, no funding source has been identified for such a buoy so these plans are currently only speculative.

update by Mike Jankulak

photos courtesy of Mike Shoemaker