Going with the flow in Little Assawoman Bay

Aboard the 26-foot research vessel Captain Thomas White, UD marine scientist Kuo-Chuin Wong prepares to release a current meter into Little Assawoman Bay. The black sphere, about a foot in diameter, will record the speed and direction of the water flow at this location over the next 75 days.

It's a task that will be repeated several times in the next year. Wong also will be monitoring water temperature, salinity and sea-level rise at several locations and sorting out the effects of tides, wind and river discharge on water flow. The goal of his research is to provide scientists, resource managers and local citizens with a clearer understanding of this shallow bay's circulation.

Little Assawoman Bay is connected to Indian River Bay on the north by the Assawoman Canal and to the Assawoman Bay on the south via a narrow channel. No one knows how much water is exchanged among these systems. The answer could help shed light on a number of issues facing Little Assawoman Bay, from the increased incidence of harmful algae to a recent call for dredging the Little Assawoman Canal.

The study is funded by Sea Grant in partnership with the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.