Location note: ELPIS restoration site; on Oct. 25, 1989, the M/V Alec Owen Maitland, a 155- foot oil field supply vessel, grounded south of Carysfort Reef in the Key Largo National Marine Sanctuary, now part of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS). On Nov. 11, 1989, the M/V Elpis, a 470-foot cargo freighter, grounded on nearby Elbow Reef. Both sites are part of the same reef system.
Resource Description: NODC Accession Number 0012845
A hollow, pre-cast concrete coral head or concrete and PVC monument have been used to protect and conceal thermographs. Where appropriate, bolt-on stainless steel brackets were used to secure instruments to structural supports (e.g. concrete or steel pilings) of fixed bridges or navigational aids.
Experience has shown that a 2 hour recording mode is adequate to monitor changes in reef tract bottom water temperature. Data has been collected, on average, annually from all instruments. Due to mechanical problems with some instruments, there are occasional gaps in the data streams from some of the monitoring stations.