In the third week of October 2024, Rijkswaterstaat (RWS), in close
collaboration with the Public Entity of Bonaire (OLB), will begin the installation of three
monitoring stations in Bonaire’s waters. These stations will be located in the Kralendijk
harbor near the South Pier, at Sand Dollar, and on a buoy at Kaya Tilburg.
These monitoring stations will continuously collect data on water quality. Measurements
will include:
Conductivity and Temperature: Conductivity indicates the amount of salts in the water,
serving as a measure of salinity.
Turbidity: This measures how clear or cloudy the water is.
These measurements are part of the Nature and Environment Policy Plan Caribbean
Netherlands (2020-2030). The collected data will be used in a model being developed by
Deltares. This model helps to better understand the sources and transport of nutrients and
sediment from land to sea.
Deputy Cicilia of the Public Entity of Bonaire emphasizes the importance of this project:
“Preserving our coral reefs is crucial for the future of Bonaire. With these measurements,
we gain better insights into water quality and can take more targeted actions to protect our
marine ecosystem.”
The project is a collaboration between RWS and OLB, with both organizations committed
to the conservation and protection of Bonaire’s marine ecosystem. It is important that no
one touches or disturbs the installed buoys and locations.
Rijkswaterstaat and OLB install monitoring stations in bonaire waters
