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PacIOOS Tools and Instruments
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The PacIOOS wave buoy off Kalaeloa Barbers Point is located approx. two miles offshore. |
New Kalaeloa Barbers Point Wave Buoy Deployed
PacIOOS deployed a
new wave buoy off Kalaeloa Barbers Point, Oʻahu, in time for summer south swells. The wave buoy transmits wave height, direction, and period, as well as sea surface temperature measurements, in 30-min intervals. All data are freely available online. Many commercial operators, recreational ocean users, local, state, and federal agencies rely on the wave buoy data for safe decision-making.
Due to an increase in vessel traffic, the new buoy is located slightly farther north than the previous Barbers Point wave buoy to avoid ship traffic and the potential for vessel collisions. The buoy location is marked in nautical charts. All ocean users are asked to stay clear of the buoy and refrain from tying to the equipment.
Data management 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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High-resolution ROMS for Kāneʻohe provides water temperature, salinity, and currents forecast. |
New Ocean Circulation Forecast for Kāneʻohe
PacIOOS' Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) now provides a new high-resolution grid for Kāneʻohe (approximately 100-m resolution) and the surrounding area along Oʻahu's windward shore (1.5-km resolution). The model generates 3-day forecasts for ocean currents, water temperature, and salinity. This daily forecast with hourly output allows users to explore values throughout the entire water column, from the surface to the ocean floor. All data can be accessed online on the PacIOOS website and on PacIOOS Voyager. PacIOOS ROMS is available for various areas and grid sizes in Hawaiʻi, the Mariana Islands, and Samoa.
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Aunu'u Island, American Samoa. Photo Credit: Karen Williams Bryan. |
Aunu'u Wave Buoy Back Online
PacIOOS would like to thank the marine team of the National Park of American Samoa (NPSA), who successfully redeployed the PacIOOS wave buoy off Aunu'u, American Samoa. The marine team also played a key role in rescuing the buoy in mid April after it broke free from its mooring. The wave buoy is located to the east of Tutuila and Aunu'u Island and provides important real-time information of wave conditions and sea surface temperature to various stakeholders, including local and federal agencies.
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PacIOOS wave buoy off Saipan. Photo Credit: D. Dunlop. |
Regular maintenance of the PacIOOS wave buoys is crucial to ensure continuous operations. With the support of PacIOOS partner Donn Dunlop, the wave buoy off Tanapag, Saipan, was swapped out for a "fresh" buoy. Wave buoy batteries allow for consistent data collection and transmission for approximately 18-24 months before a replacement is necessary. A total of three PacIOOS wave buoys are located in the Mariana Islands Archipelago: Ipan and Ritidian Point wave buoys off Guam, and the Tanapag wave buoy off Saipan.
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Community members toured Hōkuleʻa during the Maunalua Heritage Festival. |
Celebrating Maunalua's Heritage
Six non-profit organizations joined forces this month to celebrate the week-long Maunalua Heritage Festival. Mālama Maunalua, Huli, Livable Hawaiʻi Kai Hui, Maunalua.net, Maunalua Communities Foundation, and Maunalua Fishpond Heritage Center welcomed community members to the festival. The kick-off event featured keiki activities, hula performances, and educational booths emphasizing the cultural and natural resource conservation in Maunalua Bay, Oʻahu. PacIOOS shared information about its nearshore sensor located within the Bay, which collects valuable water quality parameters. Thanks to the Polynesian Voyaging Society, Hōkuleʻa made a special appearance, offering family-friendly tours to explore the voyaging canoe.
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Workshop participants gathered in Honolulu to discuss hyperspectral image analysis. Photo Credit: D. Schar. |
Workshop on Hyperspectral Image Analysis
The Alliance for Coastal Technologies (ACT) brought together a diverse group of experts at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa to discuss hyperspectral image analysis of coastal waters. The workshop's goals were to describe the state of the technology for coastal environments, and to determine if it would be appropriate for ACT to undertake a demonstration of technology. Professor Margaret McManus, PacIOOS co-investigator, serves on the workshop steering committee, along with members from ACT, NOAA, NASA, James Cook University, and Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences. A report with the workshop's results will be made available on the ACT website.
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Left: Dr. Alma Trujillo; Right: Catherine Morgan.
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Congrats, Grads!
PacIOOS sends heartfelt congratulations to two members of our ʻohana for graduating this summer. Dr. Alma Trujillo received her Doctoral Degree form the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST), Department of Oceanography under the supervision of PacIOOS co-investigator Pierre Flament. In her dissertation, Alma studied the ocean dynamics of the South Shore of Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi: from mean circulation to near-inertial waves and submesoscale.
Catherine Morgan, former student assistant with PacIOOS, received her Bachelor of Arts in Geology at SOEST. She particularly enjoyed classes on Field Methods and Geospatial Information. While Alma and Catherine will both leave the islands, we are certain that they will share their aloha and contribute their knowledge and skills to valuable research and conservation projects. We wish you all the best in your new endeavors, keep up the great work!
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