UVI Launches a Real-Time Oceanographic Data Buoy

One of my major duties last year was to purchase a data buoy.  Of course I never knew how much time and effort it would actually take, nor did I realize how much would be involved.  Too many details to describe here but a couple items were writing an Environmental Assessment Report (EAR) to describe various locations where the data buoy could go and where we decided to put it.  Within that included surveys of the bottom at the site location to determine what was there, meaning to make sure there was not coral or habitat for sea turtles.  So we used a drop camera and took video of the ocean bottom at each location.

I received letters of support from the Fisherman Association as well as many other government agencies like Fish and Wildlife and Department of Planning and Natural Resources.  I had to obtain many different permits and follow through each application.  Two final permits, after a public notice was submitted to the local newspaper, were from the Army Corps of Engineers and U.S. Coast Guard.

In addition to all of the paperwork, letters of support, and permits it was a learning experience purchasing all of the parts to put the buoy together.  I had to learn about moorings and anchors.  Usually people will use old railroad wheels as an anchor, however being here in the Virgin Islands we didn't have easy access to that so I found a place in St. Croix that had a bunch of 2,000 pound concrete blocks.  The guy gave us to the for what I thought was a great price, only a little over a hundred a piece.  We needed 4,000 pounds total and then purchased a bunch of half inch chain for the mooring.

Below are a bunch of pictures of the buoy, buoy cleaning, and the buoy launch.  The launch was the day we towed to the buoy to the site and connected it to the mooring.

The buoy collects both meteorological and oceanographic real-time data and includes parameters such as air and water temperature, wind speed and direction, wave height and direction, salinity, and ocean current speed and direction from the surface to the bottom, ~35m.  It also collects dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll a, and turbidity, but we are having some troubles with biofouling of the turbidity and chl a sensor getting fouled.  I am working on getting that fixed!

You can see the data by clicking on this website and on the St. Thomas buoy icon:

www.caricoos.org

This is a picture of the Water Quality meter on the buoy.  The buoy was sitting in Brewers Bay (right here by my office at UVI) for almost 2 months.  Can you believe how quickly the buoy, chain, and instrument fouled?  Bio-fouling is a term used to describe marine growth (algae, barnacles, etc.) that occurs on platforms, instruments, buoys, and any other type of device or mooring that is put into the water.  I swam out to the buoy to clean it up, so after it looked all nice and yellow again.  There is also a picture of me next to the buoy after cleaning.

Next up are pictures from when we towed the buoy to it's actual site location.  Being in Brewers Bay was just because we were waiting for calm seas and a crew to perform the operation.  We went out in two boats, one with divers to bring the mooring chain up to the surface using lift bags and the other was towing the buoy. We could only go about 2-3 knots while towing the buoy, which is very slow.

Below is a video of the buoy being towed:

Here are a couple pictures taken of the boat that I was on from the other vessel.  I was the driver so look for me at the helm!

Lastly, the finished product...the Data Buoy secured at its location: 18.2574 N 65.0040 W 

And notice the pretty sign that I made for it, and in small print my office phone number.  Success!  There is much more to tell and show.  Hopefully, I can keep it up and post more often because I really enjoy it and hope that everyone that sees this enjoys it as well.