Advancing aquatic monitoring with vertical profiling technology
Water is one of our planet’s most vital resources, yet beneath the surface lies a constantly changing environment that’s often difficult to fully understand. From temperature shifts to nutrient fluctuations and oxygen levels, these invisible changes can have lasting impacts on aquatic ecosystems, water quality, and biodiversity.
Over the past century, various instruments have been invented in the quest to understand these changes, adding a new dimension to the data by enabling vertical profiling in the water column. From crude manual tools—such as water sampler bottles with reversing thermometers—we’ve progressed to modern multiparameter sondes with optical sensors for parameters like turbidity, chlorophyll, and blue-green algae.
Left image: Reversing thermometers measure water temperature at specific depths by "reversing" or flipping 180 degrees, which breaks the mercury column and preserves the temperature reading as the instrument is brought to the surface. Photo credit: University of California, The Oceans, Their Physics, Chemistry, and General Biology. Right image: A researcher displays a Kemmerer water sampler, a cylindrical device that collects water samples at specific depths for laboratory analysis. Photo credit: USGS
Left image: A modern autonomous vertical profiler made by YSI on a reservoir intake structure with an EXO3 Sonde in the foreground. Right image: Multiple water quality sensors on the YSI EXO3 Sonde installed on the profiler.
Water quality profiling is crucial for treatment decisions in drinking water reservoirs, as it directly affects the efficiency and effectiveness of water treatment processes. Whether deployed in lakes, reservoirs, estuaries, or coastal waters, this advanced system makes it easier than ever to track environmental health, detect early signs of change, and support evidence-based decision-making.
Designed for reliability
The YSI Vertical Profiling System is a low-maintenance, budget-conscious tool designed to capture critical data throughout the entire water column. It provides researchers, environmental managers, and conservationists with the insights they need to protect and preserve our freshwater and marine environments.
YSI Pontoon Vertical Profiling System on the Colorado River with the Hoover Dam (USA) in the background.
Durable mechanical and structural components are combined with a system that is easy to upgrade as new technology becomes available. The profiler is powered by a 12 V battery that can be charged via an outlet or multiple solar panels. Dual battery power supplies and additional solar panel upgrades make operation possible at higher latitudes.
The profiler system is built around a high-quality scientific data logger. This type of control device bridges data acquisition with local decision-making in a cost-effective way. The data logger is rugged and reliable for long-term data recording, simple to use, easy to configure and maintain, and—most importantly—has low power consumption.
The data logger is connected to the YSI EXO Sonde using an extremely durable and lightweight communications cable with an aramid strength member—a bundle of synthetic fibers also used in remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). The EXO Sonde can be equipped with a wide variety of sensors, including the NitraLED, an optical nitrate sensor used in many reservoir profiling applications.
The system can be further expanded with a secondary data logger to support additional sensors. Examples of add-on sensors include meteorological instruments that measure temperature, humidity, wind, rain, and solar irradiance; hydrocarbon sensors; optical sensors for algal detection; and video camera systems. Pontoon profilers can host environmental sensors hanging from the platform through portholes in the deck or bow rollers, or they can be mounted on the 10-ft mast. Buoy profilers can also be equipped with bow rollers and a mast for mounting additional sensors to suit any application.
YSI pontoon-mounted vertical profiler hosting experimental optical sensor for algal monitoring (left and center photos) and various weather sensors (right photo).
Solving for site location
The profiler's modular design allows for flexible installation on both fixed structures—such as a dock, pier, or dam—and floating platforms.
YSI Buoy Vertical Profiling System near Grand River Dam on Neosho River in Oklahoma, USA.
Challenging locations may require innovative solutions for the placement of the winch and the guidance of the communication cable. In high-flow environments, guiding and protecting the EXO Sonde and cable throughout the water column may be necessary. The image below shows a stilling well and a cable sled solution.
Left image: EXO3 Sonde on sled and cable guide. Right image: EXO3 Sonde protected by structure-mounted stilling well.
Choosing the most suitable communication method—depending on deployment location and data security requirements—is critical. YSI profilers can be equipped with Ethernet cable connections to a local network, radio, cellular, or even satellite communication for the most remote applications.
Our pontoon and buoy profiler systems have been deployed and operated successfully in challenging environments, such as high-altitude reservoirs that experience strong winds or reservoirs with significant fluctuations in water level. The standard two-point mooring of pontoons can be upgraded to a four-point mooring system. In locations where the water level changes dramatically, a self-adjusting mooring system using pulleys and counterweights can be used to maintain proper positioning. A great benefit of the pontoon is that the platform can comfortably support two people performing instrumentation maintenance, which improves safety during site access.
The YSI Pontoon Vertical Profiling System is a stable and spacious platform for sensors and crew (Photo: Beaver Dam, OR, USA).
As our need for precise, real-time water quality data grows, tools like the YSI Vertical Profiling System are becoming indispensable in research and operational settings. With its modular design, reliable performance, and adaptability to harsh and remote environments, this system represents a significant advancement in aquatic monitoring. Whether supporting drinking water safety, ecological research, or climate resilience efforts, it empowers users with the critical insights needed to safeguard aquatic ecosystems—now and into the future.
Discover more about YSI’s vertical profiling solutions! To speak with an expert, please get in touch with us at ysi.info@xylem.com or +1 (937) 767-7241. You can also check out the Floating Platform Selector and view our complete list of environmental monitoring solutions.
