PME miniPAR Logger
Features
- Submersible up to 100 meters
- PAR, orientation, and temperature sensors
- Anti-fouling wiper available
- Expedited repair and warranty service
- Lifetime technical support
- More
Overview
The PME minPAR contains a tilt sensor to ensure proper orientation and a temperature sensor. Data is recorded on an internal SD card. The miniPAR is powered by 2 AA batteries and can be fitted with an anti-fouling miniWIPER to protect long-term data accuracy.
Measuring Photosynthetically Active Radiation
The miniPAR is fitted with an LI-192 Underwater Quantum Sensor manufactured by LI-COR. The sensor uses a silicon photodiode and glass optical filters to create a uniform sensitivity to light wavelengths in the 400-700nm range. It measures PAR from all angles in one hemisphere. PAR is a key indicator for understanding nutrient loading, photosynthesis, algae blooms, or other biological, chemical, or physical processes.
Battery Powered
PME is confident that the logger can continue collecting measurements for over one year before the batteries need to be replaced at a sampling interval of one minute. The miniPAR is constructed from strong Delrin plastic that does not easily crack or break.
Embedded Tilt Sensor
The miniPAR is unique among similar loggers in that it contains a tilt sensor to measure the orientation of the device. Since PAR measurement accuracy is dependent upon the sensor being pointed toward the water surface, the tilt sensor will alert the user if the sensor is rotated in a particular direction.
PME Software Included
PME software is provided with every miniPAR logger and can be found on the included SD card when it is connected to a computer. The software creates visual plots to read PAR measurements easily and allows the user to set the internal clock and sample rate.
In The News
Thin Ice: Year-Long Monitoring in Missouri Reservoirs
The value of multi-lake studies is well understood by international organizations like the Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network (GLEON) and the scientists who work tirelessly to provide data to the larger network. Rebecca North, an associate professor at the University of Missouri-Columbia , is one of many researchers involved in multi-lake research initiatives and conducting research locally in her home state. 
 
Having been born and raised on the shore of Lake Ontario, North grew up in a community that revolved around water. She also saw firsthand one of the worst water quality bodies of the world, the Bay of Quinte, decline throughout her lifetime.
Read MoreCal Poly, San Luis Obispo Manages Monitoring Efforts in Morro Bay
California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly, SLO), has been monitoring Morro Bay for decades, and while the monitoring program has changed over the years, the dedication to monitoring the bay has remained the same. 
 
The project started in 2006 as a Packard Foundation-funded initiative to monitor water quality flowing in and out of Morro Bay. The goal at the time was to use the data collected to develop and inform an ecosystem-based management plan in collaboration with the Morro Bay National Estuary Program (MBNEP). 
 
Since the estuary was the focus at the time, researchers were monitoring water flowing into the estuary from Chorro Creek and Los Osos Creek.
Read MoreGreen Water in Green Bay: Using Data Buoys to Monitor the Southern Bay
While the bay of Green Bay has been referred to as the largest freshwater “estuary” in the world, the watershed hosts intensive agriculture and contributes one-third of Lake Michigan’s total phosphorus load. 
 
 The Fox River flows into the bay, carrying excess nutrients largely the result of non-point source runoff from the watershed. With a history of deterioration extending well into the last century, the bay ecosystem suffered significant declines in water quality. 
 
 This, in turn, stimulated major clean-up and ongoing restoration efforts to improve water quality. Tracking these changes is an important aspect of ecosystem management.
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