2026 Pilot Season: Fully Funded
With the launch of the R/V HMS Buttercup and a $18,000 initial seed investment, our 2026 operations are live.
✔ Vessel Secured ✔ Instrumentation Funded ✔0 % Overhead
The Vision: Real-Time Watershed Intelligence
HMS Stewards is closing the “Data Gap” in the Great Bay Watershed. By combining maritime expertise with “Lean Science,” we provide the high-resolution forensic mapping required to protect our 52-town “Source-to-Sea” corridor. From road-salt plumes to nutrient runoff, we turn “hidden” water quality trends into actionable community evidence.
The Innovation: The Mobile Sensing Unit (MSU) & The Ghost
Our proprietary Mobile Sensing Unit (MSU) is a vertically integrated forensic laboratory. Whether mounted on our primary vessel, the R/V HMS Buttercup, or deployed via the HMS “Ghost”—our shallow-draft, air-propelled autonomous scout—we deliver agency-grade data from the most inaccessible “forensic hotspots” in the Seacoast.
The Strategic Advantage: 1:1 Data Parity at 3% of the Cost
We have engineered a breakthrough in environmental monitoring efficiency. By leveraging high-performance consumer technology and modular architecture, the HMS “Ghost” delivers the same 4K visual evidence and chemical “Ground Truth” as $120,000 industrial platforms for a fraction of the capital risk.
The Result: A Relational Forensic Data-Vault
Data is only as good as its credibility. Every HMS mission is archived as a synchronized Data Package, where high-frequency telemetry is cross-referenced with stabilized 4K optical evidence via UTC timestamps. This “Single Source of Truth” allows researchers and municipal leaders to instantly correlate chemical anomalies with physical infrastructure.
Building the Future of Community-Led Science.
Connect
(Monitor)
Status: Scientific Rigor
We’re currently engineering the Mobile Sensing Unit (MSU) to meet Federal Data Quality Standards, ensuring our baseline mapping is scientifically defensible and ready for agency integration.
Understand
(Educate)
Status: Curriculum Development
Data into Stories. We’re designing dashboards and online modules that translate raw sensor data into actionable insights for landowners and municipalities.
Powered by a custom learning framework to turn local residents into accredited Water Stewards.
Protect
(Act)
Status: Scaling for 2027
We don’t just report data; we drive mitigation. Our goal is to empower citizens and towns to act as the first line of defense for New Hampshire’s marine ecosystems.
Real-Time Science for a Resilient Seacoast.
HMS Stewards bridges the data gap in New Hampshire’s tidal rivers. We combine open-source “Lean Science“ with citizen-led monitoring to provide high-resolution data at a fraction of the traditional cost. We protect the waters where our community works, lives, and plays.
What We’re Doing This Summer
We’re field-testing the HMS Ghost, a shallow-draft robotic skiff designed to map forensic hotspots that traditional research vessels can’t reach.
Calibration & Testing
We will stress-test our sensing array in the Piscataqua River to ensure lab-grade accuracy in rugged marine environments.
Baseline Mapping
Every mile we travel this summer creates the “ground truth” baseline needed for our 2027 full-scale launch.
Open Science
Transparency is our core value. We’re building a public dashboard where the community can see the real-time health of our local waters.
The Solution is Community-Led.
We don’t just watch the water; we empower New Hampshire citizens to protect it.