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PacIOOS Tools and Instruments
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Newly deployed MAPCO2 buoy at Fagatele Bay, American Samoa. Credit: PacIOOS |
New Ocean Acidification Monitoring Station in American Samoa
NOAA, PacIOOS, and partners, have launched a new buoy in Fagatele Bay within the National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa to measure carbon dioxide and other important seawater characteristics within the bay's vibrant tropical coral reef ecosystem. This site in the Southern Hemisphere complements two similar existing coral reef monitoring sites within the U.S. Pacific Islands (Kāneʻohe Bay and on the South Shore of Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi), and is part of a national buoy array to better understand changes in ocean chemistry. The buoy measures carbon dioxide in the atmosphere as well as seawater measurements of carbon dioxide, temperature, salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, and chlorophyll. All data can be viewed online on the PMEL and PacIOOS websites.
Learn more about the buoy and the partners involved.
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Captain Don Dunlop and his crew redeploying the Tanapag wave buoy. Credit D. Dunlop |
Typhoon Yutu Breakaway Wave Buoy Back on Station
PacIOOS' wave buoy off Tanapag, Saipan, is now back online to provide valuable wave and ocean information. The buoy broke free from its mooring during Super Typhoon Yutu in October 2018, and was adrift for more than 6 weeks. Approximately 800 nautical miles into the Philippine Sea, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Sequoia, stationed in Guam, recovered the buoy in challenging ocean conditions while patrolling the high seas. A number of ocean users and agencies rely on the real-time data of wave height, direction, and period, as well as sea surface temperature, which are all publicly available online
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Glassy conditions during the wave buoy swap off Hanalei Bay, Kauaʻi. Credit: K. Millikan |
Record-breaking Hanalei Wave Buoy Swapped
The Hanalei, Kauaʻi, wave buoy was swapped out for one with a fresh set of batteries to ensure continuous operation. In February, a strong low pressure system in close proximity to the Hawaiian Islands caused exceptionally large waves. The Hanalei wave buoy measured 38ft in significant wave height and the largest wave recorded (Hmax) rose up to 63ft! This is the highest wave ever recorded for Hawaiʻi through PacIOOS' real-time wave buoys. Data streaming for the PacIOOS wave buoys is made possible through long-term partnerships with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Coastal Data Information Program (CDIP)
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CSP's Marine Team and PacIOOS staff discuss the installation of rain gauges. Credit: CSP |
Technical Training Workshop in Pohnpei
The Conservation Society of Pohnpei (CSP) has implemented a watershed monitoring program in the Dausokele estuary to better understand sedimentation and coastal water quality patterns. As part of the PacIOOS Water Quality Sensor Partnership Program, a nearshore sensor was installed
east of the Pohnpei International Airport runway in December 2018, to measure turbidity, chlorophyll-a, salinity, water temperature, and other physical parameters. This past month PacIOOS worked with the CSP Marine Team to download data from the nearshore sensor with the goal to build ocean observing capacity throughout the Pacific Islands region. PacIOOS also provided technical support and funding for the purchase and installation of rain gauges to track fresh water input into the watershed. Data from the rain gauges and the nearshore sensor will be downloaded quarterly by CSP staff and made available through the PacIOOS website in the near future.
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PacIOOS wave buoy lab at the University of Hawaiʻi Mānoa campus. Credit: J. DePonte |
Coming up soon: PacIOOS Ocean Tech Position
Interested to join the PacIOOS team? PacIOOS will soon open up the search for an Oceanographic Technician with 1-3 years of experience to provide logistical and technical support for the wave buoy program. With attention to detail and a flexible mindset, the successful candidate will participate in operational fieldwork throughout the Pacific Islands region to install and recover PacIOOS' network of 15 wave buoys; assist with the fabrication, maintenance, assembly, and refurbishment of buoys, moorings, anchor systems, and associated equipment; operate and help maintain the 27ft research vessel; and help coordinate supply inventories and shipping logistics. Strong on- and in-water skills, experience related to oceanographic fieldwork and engineering, and knowledge of safe and effective small boat operations are required. The position will be posted on the RCUH website soon. For more information, please contact Nicole Wakazuru-Yoza at 808-956-5018 or email at [email protected].
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Deep Dive into an Ocean of Data
Sarah Bingo, Deepsea Coral Research Program Associate at the Department of Oceanography, School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST), University of Hawaiʻi, is currently supporting PacIOOS as a Data Specialist. Sarah is focusing on identifying and formatting biological datasets to comply with Darwin Core standards and to make them easy to access, filter, and query. The goal is to develop a streamlined management process to allow for standardized biological data that can be shared and disseminated among multiple platforms.
Sarah received her Masters Degree in Marine Science from the Hawaiʻi Pacific University in Fall 2018 and worked during her undergraduate degree as a NOAA Hollings Scholar with the Hawaiʻi Undersea Research Laboratory at SOEST. Her graduate research focused on characterizing high-density communities of corals and sponges on previously unexplored seamounts in the U.S. Pacific Monuments. With a passion for the deep sea, Sarah finds great value in expanding the knowledge about under-reported areas of ocean science, such as creating baseline understanding of the biogeography of the lower bathyal zone and identifying suitable habitats where deep-sea corals may live. In her spare time, Sarah loves kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding to the offshore islets of Oʻahu and is an avid bird-watcher. She also enjoys arts and crafts, such as crochet and origami projects.
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