NOAA has placed 7 monitoring buoys around the Bay which not only measure and store current weather conditions such as wind velocity, wind direction, and air temperature but a whole host of other parameters. Graphs of monitored data are also available.
These $120,000, 10 foot high yellow "Smart" buoys have been placed at the mouth of the major rivers entering the Bay and at other strategic locations. The location of the present buoys are as follows: Susquehanna, Patapsco, Potomac, and Severn Rivers plus at Norfolk, Jamestown and Stingray Point.
Click on Bay Interpretive Buoy System ("Smart Buoys") to go to the site. You will see a chart of the Bay with yellow buoy icons. Click on the desired buoy and the current wind velocity, wind direction, air temperature and water temperature observations are displayed.
By clicking on "Get More Data" an extensive list of other observations will be displayed. This data includes barometric pressure, chlorophyll A, dissolved oxygen, current direction, current velocity, latitude, longitude, relative humidity, maximum wave heights, mean wave direction, significant wave height, significant wave period, water conductivity, water salinity, water temperature, turbidity, wave direction spread, wind direction, wind speed, and wind gusts.
One day, 7 day and 30 day historical graphs are available for all paramters. After clicking on "Get More Data" from the buoy home page, look at the column on the right, "Quick Graph". Here you will see icons of 1, 7, and 30 which allows selection of the graph's duration. For example, to get a graph of wind gusts for the last 24 hours, click on "1" on the wind gust row. The graph will be displayed.
ACCESS TO SMART BUOYS
BY COMPUTER: To access the "Smart Buoys", click on Bay Interpretive Buoy System ("Smart Buoys").
BY PHONE :The buoy information can be accessed at any time from any telephone by calling 1-877 BOUY BAY (1-877-286-9229). Follow the verbal prompt menu to access the verbal only buoy and data desired.
