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Why I'm asking surfers to help monitor the oceans

It is tricky to collect coastal data, so oceanographer Bob Brewin wants to recruit a volunteer surfer armada to help

By Andy Extance

25 November 2015

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You want surfers to help you monitor sea temperatures. Why would this be useful?
The coastal zone is extremely valuable to humans. It is where we interact most with the ocean, and it has the highest marine biodiversity. The problem is that it is difficult to sample using boats or buoys, because of waves. Surfers are always in and out of the water, so there’s a possibility that we could use them to acquire information on temperature. Temperature is particularly important because it controls the growth of marine organisms and, together with salinity, drives coastal currents that carry pollutants and…

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