The PacIOOS wave buoy off Waimea on the North Shore of O‘ahu was redeployed during a short weather window in mid March. The wave buoy is located approximately 4 miles offshore of Waimea Bay and moored in a depth of 200m. The buoy provides real-time information of significant wave height, wave direction, and period, as well as sea surface temperature.

The wave buoy team also swapped out the wave buoy off Lana‘i to allow for continuous data collection. Wave buoy batteries last approximately 18 months before they need to be replaced. Data management is made possible through long-term partnerships with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Coastal Data Information Program (CDIP). [Photo: Waverider wave buoy off the North Shore of O‘ahu. Credit: PacIOOS/A. Queima]

Researchers from the Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology (HIMB) equipped two 10-foot, female tiger sharks off Kāne‘ohe Bay, Oʻahu, with the new generation of satellite tags. The tags track GPS location information of the tiger sharks, and also collect environmental ocean data while the sharks move through the water column. Check out the latest shark tracks -- both sharks are frequenting windward areas as well as the North Shore of O‘ahu, all the way out to Ka‘ena Point. Please note, this is not a warning system and the data are not transmitted in real-time. Ocean temperature profile data from this recent deployment will be made available in the near future. [Photo: Shown is the track of one individual shark, with several detections over a period of time.]

The Maui Nui Marine Resource Council (MNMRC) is currently using a PacIOOS nearshore sensor as part of the Water Quality Sensor Partnership Program (WQSPP). MNMRC is monitoring how tides, wind, and swell affect water quality in the harbor, and how water quality changes over time. The sensor has been deployed for ~30-day periods at numerous locations throughout the harbor and data from the different sites are now available online. New data will be added to the website as they become available. The sensor collects data on water temperature, salinity, turbidity, chlorophyll-a and depth, which help to inform MNMRC's watershed management efforts to reduce sediment and pollutants in Ma‘alaea Bay and its harbor. [Photo: Pohakea watershed and Ma‘alaea Harbor after a heavy run-off event. Credit: Dana Reed]

The U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) program office, IOOS regional associations, and the IOOS Association came together for a virtual meeting series for three half-days. Meeting participants discussed topics such as coastal resilience, coastal climate signals, and the UN Decade of Ocean Science in plenary and break-out groups. Leadership from NOAA's National Ocean Service also joined the meeting to share priorities from the new Administration and the agency's role in climate and coastal resilience efforts. The IOOS Spring meeting was followed by the IOOS Association Board Meeting. [Photo: Participants of the virtual meeting.]

Bob Hampton has always had a special connection with the ocean. As a young adult, Bob served as the First Mate on a large ship out of Kewalo Basin on O‘ahu, then became involved with tour boat services. He started working at Duke Kahanamoku Beach in Waikīkī when Hawai‘i was still a territory and the Hilton Hawaiian Village was called the Kaiser Hawaiian Village. For over 30 years, Bob served as President and is now Chairman of Waikiki Beach Activities (WBA), the exclusive service provider for the Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa. WBA is responsible for all of Hiltons’s beach, lagoon, catamaran, and outdoor activities and meetings. With Bob’s "young 83 and still at the beach" attitude, he enjoys connecting customers with the ocean through fun activities.  

Bob and his staff rely on the PacIOOS wave run-up forecast to receive notices of potential wave run-up and flooding of Waikīkī Beach. With advance notice, WBA can proactively prepare and respond to potential flooding while minimizing impacts to customer services. PacIOOS' ocean observations and forecasts enable WBA to make informed decisions in keeping with their highest priority “Safety First.” [Photo: WBA Chairman Bob Hampton (left) with WBA Director and Surf Instructor Errol Kane. Credit: WBA]