John SheltonJohn SheltonSouth Carolina South Carolina

Water Science CenterWater Science Center

Congo River ProjectCongo River Project• History with AMNHHistory with AMNH• Field verification of model predictionsField verification of model predictions

(depth, slope, stream power, roughness, (depth, slope, stream power, roughness, Froude)—WHY??Froude)—WHY??

• Acoustic and Water Quality measurementAcoustic and Water Quality measurement--Fish diversity definition--Fish diversity definition--OSW time tests--OSW time tests--Turbulence definition--Turbulence definition--QW field parameters and samples--QW field parameters and samples

--Bathymetry--Bathymetry

--Discharge--Discharge

http://research.amnh.org/ichthyology/congo/index.html

Congo River is a major biogeographic barrier

American Museum of Natural History

“...landlocked system was captured in the Miocene (5-15 mya) by a shortriver draining into the Atlantic Ocean, producing the drainage pattern of Central Africa seen today.” (Stankiewicz & de Wit, 2006)

BUT others claim the capture event happened as recently as 400,000 ya (very young) while yet others

claim it occurred as long ago as 35mya (very old)American Museum of Natural History

American Museum of Natural History

CURRENT SPECIES COUNT ca. 135

~ 30% endemism

American Museum of Natural History

Lamprologus tigripictilis

Lamprologus lethops

Lamprologus werneri

American Museum of Natural History

Lamprologus lethops

American Museum of Natural History

Field Verification and Field Verification and Hydroacoustic MeasurementsHydroacoustic Measurements

•7-man kayak team7-man kayak team•80 mile reach80 mile reach•NGS Photo/ NGS Photo/ videographyvideography•Single line bathymetrySingle line bathymetry

Kayak TeamKayak Team

•Differential GPSDifferential GPS•Echo sounderEcho sounder•Power supplyPower supply•Data loggerData logger•Kayak-camKayak-cam•Helmet-camHelmet-cam•QW sampling suppliesQW sampling supplies

2X2X

John & Ned’s Excellent AdventureJohn & Ned’s Excellent Adventure

Congo River at LuoziCongo River at Luozi

•1.26 million CFS in 1.26 million CFS in 22 minutes22 minutes•1.3 miles wide1.3 miles wide•80 feet deep80 feet deep

…upstream to Pioka

Processing IssuesProcessing Issues

• PowerPower• PowerPower• BugsBugs

…downstream to Bulu

Power supplyPower supply

Echo sounderEcho sounder

Echo sounder Echo sounder transducertransducer

LaptopLaptop

300 kHz ADCP300 kHz ADCP

Water-quality Water-quality monitormonitor

Differential GPSDifferential GPSSolar PanelSolar Panel

What IS the What IS the deepest river??deepest river??

ADCP Beam Depth

Echo Sounder Depth

Velocity Distribution--RelearnedVelocity Distribution--Relearned

• Areas of Areas of significant down-significant down-wellingwelling

• Downstream Downstream “jets” at depth“jets” at depth

ADCP measurements: Lower Congo River 2008

• 6 random transects• Four surveys

Ned Gardiner, PhD AMNH/NOAA

Below BuluBelow Bulu

Ned Gardiner, PhD AMNH/NOAA

Ned Gardiner, PhD AMNH/NOAA

Turbulence Definition—Turbulence Definition—Longitudinal transectLongitudinal transect

• Accelerations in Accelerations in “constricted” “constricted” areasareas

• Velocity “ramps” Velocity “ramps” and “dives” due and “dives” due to bedformsto bedforms

““The Turbulence”The Turbulence”

Title: congo_whirl2Format: wmv (00:02:06)Double-click to edit

• Primary data Primary data processing/interpretationprocessing/interpretation

• Relate hydraulic data to Relate hydraulic data to fish datafish data

• Visualization productsVisualization products----Animations, fact sheets, Animations, fact sheets, NG ExplorerNG Explorer

• Water-quality samples Water-quality samples (nutrients, major cations, (nutrients, major cations, metals)metals)

• Future projects Future projects

Where do we go from here?Where do we go from here?

QuestionsQuestions