NOAA Deploys 'Smart Buoy' Near Mouth of the Rappahannock River

Sea Technology, Sep 2008

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Chesapeake Bay Office deployed a "smart buoy" on July 19 at the mouth of the Rappahannock River to take observations of the Chesapeake Bay's changing conditions. A part of the Chesapeake Bay Interpretive Buoy System, this is the fourth interpretative buoy to mark the Capt. John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail.

The buoy was deployed off Stingray Point, near Deltaville, Virginia, to mark the 400th anniversary of Smith's exploration of the region.

The buoy collects weather, oceanographie and waterquality observations and transmits these data wirelessly in near-real time. The Chesapeake Bay Interpretive Buoy System is the only operational buoy system in the bay dedicated to maintaining the broad range of measurements necessary to track bay restoration progress, NOAA representatives said.

"These smart buoys are an example of NOAA's advancements in Earth-observing systems," said Mary Glackin, deputy undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere. "NOAA is working to improve our understanding of dynamic coastal areas like the Chesapeake Bay and how areas like the bay are affected by changes in the global ocean."

Glackin and Rep. Robert Wittman (R-Va.) participated in the deployment ceremony.

"Placement of this NOAA buoy is an important addition to the Capt. John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail and an important tool to gain additional scientific and ecological information about the Chesapeake Bay," said Wittman.

This is the second Chesapeake Bay interpretive buoy in Virginia, with the other buoy located at Jamestown. Additional buoys are currently in operation in Maryland at the mouth of the Potomac River and at the mouth of the Patapsco River near Baltimore, Maryland. Three more buoys will be launched later this summer, two on the Elizabeth River at Norfolk, Virginia, and one on the Susquehanna River off Havre de Grace, Maryland.