Rollins Deploys Lake Virginia Monitoring Buoy

Rollins’ Department of Environmental Studies has recently deployed a new water-quality monitoring buoy in Lake Virginia. The buoy will provide real-time environmental data to support lake stewardship, research, and public understanding of lake conditions.

The buoy will be operated by Rollins’ Freshwater Alliance, a collaborative program that engages the Central Florida community in learning and action related to freshwater resources and ecosystems. Its sensors will continually monitor key indicators of lake health, including water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, algae concentrations, and other environmental parameters. Unlike traditional water-quality sampling, which involves time-consuming periodic collection and laboratory analysis, the buoy will collect and transmit data around the clock, providing a more timely picture of the environmental factors shaping one of Winter Park’s most prominent lakes.

“The monitoring buoy is specifically for long-term environmental observation and will not alter lake conditions,” says Emily Nodine, chair of the environmental studies department and faculty director of the Freshwater Alliance. “It functions as a passive ‘sentinel,’ gathering data that can help identify trends, support educational opportunities, inform future lake-management decisions, and increase public understanding of environmental conditions in Lake Virginia and the Winter Park Chain of Lakes.”

Although the buoy will remain in a fixed location near the center of Lake Virginia, it is not permanently installed and may occasionally be removed for maintenance or future research needs. It is equipped with a flashing light and reflective markings, and boaters and other lake users should maintain a safe distance while navigating nearby. Questions may be directed to freshwater@rollins.edu.