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Frank W. Spada

Frank W. Spada
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Frank W. Spada
Senior Scientist

Frank W. Spada

Senior Scientist (831) 576-2880 Santa Barbara, CA fspada@integral-corp.com

Mr. Frank Spada is a proven developmental engineer and ocean engineering technician.  He has 24 years of experience in the oceanographic technology field, specifically in the design, development, fabrication, and implementation of oceanographic sensor systems and monitoring platforms. He has designed, constructed, and deployed platforms for research instrumentation in lakes, rivers, and surf zone, coastal, and deep ocean environments. Mr. Spada is responsible for the organization and coordination of technical activities and field operations for research programs. His key strengths and skills are as follows:

  • Project coordination and organization
  • Project management
  • Hardware development
  • Systems design
  • Field operations
  • Staff management and team leadership
  • Software development
  • Electronics design

OPTICS (OPTically-based In-situ Characterization System)

Resource

January 13 2025

The Benthic Zone (January 2025 Edition): Integral’s Sediment Newsletter

Press Release

January 13 2025

Optically-Based Evaluation of Stormwater as a Potential Source of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

Poster

October 08 2024

Integrated, Real-Time, Multi-Scale System for Monitoring Avian Interactions with Offshore Wind Energy Technologies

Poster

July 16 2024

Performance of an Acoustic Sensing Array in an Energetic Tidal Channel

Publication

July 01 2024

Performance Characteristics of the NoiseSpotter: An Acoustic Monitoring and Localization System

Publication

July 01 2024

Evaluation of stormwater as a potential source of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii

Publication

February 21 2024

Advancing Renewable Energy: Integral Awarded Funding from DOE for Open-Water R&D at PacWave

Press Release

April 15 2022

Marine Renewables: Grace Chang, Kaustubha Raghukumar, and Frank Spada Coauthor Article in Frontiers in Marine Science

Press Release

October 19 2021

Oceanography

Oceanography, Various Sites Planning and organization of marine research projects from inception to completion. Chief scientist on research cruises (participation in more than 50 cruises). Responsible for success of field operations (e.g., mooring deployment and recovery, shipboard profilers).  On-deck supervision of engineers, technicians, researchers, and students.  Logistical coordination of research cruises in shallow and deep ocean marine environments.  Tasks include vessel scheduling, mobilization, loading, and off-loading of equipment; operation of marine engineering equipment during deployment and recovery of ocean moorings and profilers; and interfacing between engineers and researchers.  International and domestic shipping logistics. Apply relevant knowledge and understanding of oceanographic concepts to establish engineering design criteria for deployments of oceanographic instrumentation systems. System design, testing, and implementation of real-time data telemetry systems between sea and shore using various technologies.  Presentations of scientific results and technological developments in mooring engineering and ocean sensors at professional ocean science and technology conferences and workshops, and project feasibility at principal investigator planning meetings. Sites include: The Hyperspectral Coastal Ocean Dynamics Experiment (HyCODE), Tuckerton, New Jersey The Bermuda Testbed Mooring, Saint George, Bermuda Multidisciplinary Ocean Sensors for Environmental Analyses and Networks (MOSEAN), Honolulu, Hawaii, and Santa Barbara, California Radiance in a Dynamic Ocean, San Diego, California, and Honolulu, Hawaii CEROS, Santa Cruz, California, Waimanalo, Hawaii, and Duck, North Carolina UCLA Mooring, Santa Monica, California Bunbury Drifter Study, Bunbury, Western Australia NREL Datawell Mooring Deployments, Coos Bay, Oregon, and Fort Bragg, California.

R&D

Instrumentation, Various Sites Responsible for the engineering design, fabrication, acquisition, integration, and implementation of commercial and prototype oceanographic instrumentation systems. Electronics design to provide reliable underwater sensor power, data acquisition and storage, and communications. Provide training, technical support, and technical documentation for custom instrumentation systems that were leased by various research groups.  Sites include: Sandia Admiralty Inlet, University of Washington, Puget Sound, Seattle, Washington Bunbury Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) Deployments, Bunbury, Western Australia OSCOPE, Ocean Station PAPA, North Pacific. PMEL, Seattle, Washington JAMSTEC, Ocean Station KEO, North Pacific. Mutsu Institute for Oceanography, Japan MEXUS, Ensenada Center for Scientific Research and Higher Education, Ensenada, Mexico ARPA-E Development of Small Commercially Available Wave Measuring Buoy System.

Hydrodynamics

Current Meter Spatial Surveys, Various Sites Built custom ADCP vessel mounts. Developed platforms and methods for conducting full water column casts with water quality and optical instrumentation. Obtained spatially resolved cross shore, along shore, and water column profiles of current velocities and direction as well as water quality measurements in support of sediment flux and hydrodynamic modeling activities. Sites include: Toce River and Lago Maggiore, Verbania, Italy Berry’s Creek Study Area, East Rutherford, New Jersey Galveston Bay Ship Channel, Galveston, Texas Sacramento River, Redding, California Bunbury Harbor Drifter Study, Bunbury, Western Australia Mitchell Bay, Houston, Texas Newtown Creek, Long Island City, New York Selby, Vallejo, California Heckathorn, Richmond, California Yosemite Slough, San Francisco, California Willamette River, Portland, Oregon Lower Passaic River, Newark, New Jersey Kalamazoo River and Lake Allegan, Allegan, Michigan.
Fixed Current Meter and Suspended Solids Concentration Monitoring, Various Sites Engineered and deployed bottom-mounted ADCP platforms in water depths from 1 to 20 m. Designed and deployed custom trawl-resistant bottom mount for ADCP deployments in area with heavy fishing and boating activities. Obtained long-term water column profiles of current velocities and direction from multiple fixed locations within various watersheds in support of sediment flux and hydrodynamic modeling activities. Sites include: Toce River and Lago Maggiore, Verbania, Italy Berry’s Creek Study Area, East Rutherford, New Jersey Galveston Bay, Galveston, Texas Mitchell Bay, Houston, Texas Newtown Creek, Long Island City, New York Selby, Vallejo, California Heckathorn, Richmond, California Port Angeles, Port Angeles, Washington Baker Bay, Washington Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, San Francisco, California Willamette River, Portland, Oregon Lower Passaic River, Newark, New Jersey Kalamazoo River and Lake Allegan, Allegan, Michigan.
Sediment Characterization (SEDflume), Various Sites Collected sediment cores for SEDflume analysis to characterize sediment erosion properties at contaminated sediment sites and characterize scour in natural systems. Logistics involved shipping internationally and domestically and coordinating with vessel operators.  Managed field logistics for research in dynamic natural environments.  Sites include: Toce River, Verbania, Italy Kanawha River, Charleston, West Virginia Washington Navy Yard, Anacostia River, Washington, DC Berry’s Creek Study Area, East Rutherford, New Jersey Newtown Creek, Long Island City, New York Ebey Slough, Snohomish River, Cathcart, Washington Ballona Wetland, Los Angeles, California Pearl Harbor, Honolulu, Hawaii Maurice River, Vineland, New Jersey Kalamazoo River, Battle Creek, Michigan Heckathorn, Richmond, California Corte Madera Creek, Corte Madera, California Gowanus Canal, Brooklyn, New York Newark Bay, Newark, New Jersey Las Tablas, Paso Robles, California Yosemite Slough, San Francisco, California Savannah River, Savannah, Georgia Kalamazoo River and Lake Allegan, Allegan, Michigan.
Sediment Profile and Plan View Imagery (SPI–PV Survey), Various Sites Science technician for the collection of SPI-PV drop camera images. Performed conductivity, temperature, and density surveys and collected samples of water, sediment benthic infauna, demersal fish, and plankton in water depths ranging from <20 to 300 m as part of environmental baseline assessment. Sites include: Yosemite Slough, San Francisco, California; Bay of Campeche, Tabasco, Mexico; Hokchi Field Environmental Baseline Study, Gulf of Mexico, Mexico; Douglas Harbor Maintenance Dredging, Juneau, Alaska; Ward Cove, Ketchikan, Alaska; New York Bight, New Jersey; and Florida.    
Sediment Surface Grab Sampling, Various Sites Collected sediment surface grab samples with a van Veen grab sampler in water depths from 1 m to 500 m for sediment analysis and characterization. Sites include: Newark Bay, Newark, New Jersey Southern California Coastal Water Research Project, Santa Barbara Channel, California Heckathorn, Richmond, California Yosemite Slough, San Francisco, California Bay of Campeche, Tabasco, Mexico Hokchi Field Environmental Baseline Study, Gulf of Mexico, Mexico Ward Cove, Ketchikan, Alaska.

Raghukumar, K., G. Chang, F. Spada, and C. Jones.  2020.  A vector sensor-based acoustic characterization system for marine renewable energy.  J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 8(3):187.  doi:10.3390/jmse8030187.

Raghukumar, K., G. Chang, F.W. Spada, and C.A. Jones.  2019.  NoiseSpotter: A rapidly deployable acoustic monitoring and localization system.  D. Vicinanza et al. (eds), Proc. of the 13th European Wave and Tidal Energy Conference, Naples, Italy.

Raghukumar, K., G. Chang, F. Spada, C. Jones, J. Spence, S. Griffin, and J. Roberts.  2019.  Performance characteristics of a vector sensor array in an energetic tidal channel. pp. 653–658.  J.S. Papadakis (ed), Proc. of the Fifth Underwater Acoustics Conference and Exhibition, Crete, Greece.

Raghukumar, K., G. Chang, F.W. Spada, and C.A. Jones.  2019.  Performance characteristics of the NoiseSpotter: An acoustic monitoring and localization system. A. Cooper and P. Gibbs (eds), Offshore Technology Conference, Houston, TX.  doi:10.4043/29425-MS.

Raghukumar, K., G. Chang, F. Spada, C. Jones, W. Gans, and T. Janssen.  2019.  Performance characteristic of Spotter, a newly developed real-time wave measurement buoy.  J. Atmos. Ocean. Tech. doi: 10.1175/JTECH-D-18-0151.1

Chang, G., T. Martin, K. Whitehead, C. Jones, and F. Spada.  2018.  Optically based quantification of fluxes of mercury, methyl mercury, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) at Berry’s Creek tidal estuary, New Jersey.  Limnol. Oceanogr.  doi:  10.1002/lno.11021.

Chang, G., T. Martin, F. Spada, B. Sackmann, C. Jones, and K. Whitehead.  2018.  OPTically-based In-situ Characterization System (OPTICS) to quantify concentrations and mass fluxes of mercury and methylmercury in South River, Virginia, USA.  River Research and Applications 2018:1–10.  doi:  10.1002/rra.3361.

Benson, B., F. Spada, D. Manov, G. Chang, and R. Kastner.  2008.  Real time telemetry options for ocean observing systems.  Proceedings of the European Telemetry Conference, Munich, Germany, April 15-17.

Spada, F.W., D.V. Manov, and G. Chang.  2007.  Interdisciplinary ocean sensor technology development.  Sea Technology 48(3):31-35.

Dickey, T., G. Chang, C. Moore, A. Hanson, D. Karl, D. Manov, F. Spada, D. Peters, J. Kemp, O. Schofield, and S. Glenn.  2006.  The Bermuda testbed mooring and HALE-ALOHA mooring programs:  Innovative deep-sea global observatories.  Proceedings of MTS/IEEE Oceans’06.  V. Premus and A.J. Williams, III (eds).  Boston, MA.

Chang, G.C., T.D. Dickey, S. Jiang, D.V. Manov, and F.W. Spada.  2003.  Optical methods for interdisciplinary research in the coastal ocean. In:  Recent Research Developments in Optics.  M. Kawasaki, N. Ashgriz, and R. Anthony (eds).  Research Signpost, India 3:249-270.

Hogan, L., C. Zappa, K. Ragukumar, G. Chang, and F. Spada. 2022. Optical detection of ensonified capillary-gravity waves using polarimetric imaging. Poster presentation at the Ocean Optics Conference (OOXXV), October 2–7, Quy Nhon, Binh Dinh, Vietnam.

Chang, G., G. Egan, F. Spada, S. Monismith, and O. Fringer. 2022. Machine-learning methods to correct optical data affected by biofouling. Poster presentation at the Ocean Optics Conference (OOXXV), October 2–7, Quy Nhon, Binh Dinh, Vietnam

Spada, F., K. Raghukumar, G. Chang, and C. Jones.  2020.  NoiseSpotter:  Real-time underwater acoustic characterization in support of marine renewable energy projects.  Poster presentation at the Ocean Sciences Meeting.  Co-sponsored by the American Geophysical Union, the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography, and The Oceanography Society, San Diego, CA.  February 16–21.

Chang, G., F. Spada, C. Jones, G. Egan, S. Monismith, O. Fringer, and A. Manning.  2020.  Variability of particle characteristics in a wave- and current-driven estuarine environment.  Poster presentation at the Ocean Sciences Meeting.  Co-sponsored by the American Geophysical Union, the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography, and The Oceanography Society, San Diego, CA.  February 16–21.

Raghukumar, K., and F. Spada.  2020.  Observations of acoustic intensity fluctuations recorded during the Inner Shelf DRI experiment. Poster presentation at the Ocean Sciences Meeting.  Co‑sponsored by the American Geophysical Union, the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography, and The Oceanography Society, San Diego, CA.  February 16–21.

Egan, G., M. Cowherd, F. Spada, K. Scheu, A. J. Manning, C. Jones, G. Chang, and O.B. Fringer.  2020.  Cohesive sediment erosion in a shallow, wave- and current-driven flow.  Poster presentation at the 2020 Ocean Sciences Meeting. Co-sponsored by the American Geophysical Union, the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography, and The Oceanography Society, San Diego, CA.  February 16–21.

Raghukumar, K., F.W. Spada, G. Chang, and C. Jones.  2019.  Characterization of near-bed particle motion by the NoiseSpotter:  A three-dimensional vector sensor array.  Poster presentation at Fifth International Conference on the Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life, July 7–12, Den Haag, The Netherlands.

Raghukumar, K., G. Chang, F. Spada, and C. Jones.  2019.  NoiseSpotter:  New technology for underwater acoustic characterization.  Poster presentation at 7th Annual Marine Energy Technology Symposium, April 1–3, Washington, DC.

Egan, G., M. Cowherd, F. Spada, K. Scheu, A. Manning, C. Jones, S. Monismith, G. Chang, and O. Fringer.  2018.  In situ observations of near-bed turbulence and cohesive sediment transport. Oral presentation at the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, December 10–14, Washington, DC.

Chang, G., F. Spada, G. Egan, A. Manning, K. Scheu, M. Cowherd, S. Monismith, C. Jones, and O. Fringer.  2018.  Optics and acoustics for near-bed particle characterization and quantification of turbulence. Poster presentation at the Ocean Optics Conference (OOXIV), October 7–12, Dubrovnik, Croatia.

Raghukumar, K., F. Spada, G. Chang, and C. Jones.  2018.  Initial field trials of the NoiseSpotter: An acoustic monitoring and localization system.  Oral presentation at the 6th Annual Marine Energy Technology Symposium, April 30–May 2, Washington, DC.

Spada, F., G. Chang, C. Jones, K. Raghukumar, P. Barney, W. Gans, T. Janssen, and Z. Kirshner.  2018.  A motion-controlled wave buoy test stand for high fidelity data validation.  Poster presented at the Ocean Sciences Meeting.  Co-sponsored by the American Geophysical Union, the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography, and The Oceanography Society, February 11–16, Portland, OR.

Raghukumar, K., F. Spada, G. Chang, and C. Jones.  2018.  Spatial characterization of surface waves using an array of newly developed wave buoys.  Poster presented at the Ocean Sciences Meeting.  Co-sponsored by the American Geophysical Union, the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography, and The Oceanography Society, February 11–16, Portland, OR.

Flanary, C., G. Chang, C. Jones, F. Spada, and T. Martin.  2017.  Innovative optically-based tools and techniques for water quality monitoring.  Indian River Lagoon Research Institute, Technical Conference on Coastal Water Quality Issues, September, Melbourne, FL.

Spada, F.W., D. Manov, G. Chang, B. Benson, and R. Kastner.  2008.  Real-time telemetry technologies for moored oceanographic applications.  AGU Ocean Sciences, Orlando, FL.

Spada, F.W., T. Dickey, D. Karl, and C. Moore.  2007.  The MOSEAN HALE-ALOHA Mooring Program:  Recent developments.  AGU Joint Assembly, Acapulco, Mexico.

Training personnel on the setup and deployment of ADCPs and water quality instrumentation.  Perth, Australia.  2013.

Presentation on the use of optical instrumentation for water quality investigations.  U.S. Geological Survey, Santa Cruz, CA.  2010.

Presented data and field effort details of the passage of Hurricane Fabien over the Bermuda testbed mooring.  ADCPs in Action, San Diego, CA.  2003.

Development of calibration protocols for absorption and attenuation meters.  AC-9 calibration protocol workshop.  WETLabs, Inc. Corvallis, OR.  1999.

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