Funded by: The National Science Foundation
Through the Bay Observatory, researchers will be able to gather real-time data and monitor ecological changes in Narragansett Bay.
Tern Buoys & Bay Observatory is staffed by oceanographers, engineers, and marine scientists from the University of Rhode Island, in partnership with industry and researchers from seven other institutions in the state via the Rhode Island Consortium for Coastal Ecology Assessment, Innovation and Modeling (RI C-AIM) project.
Researchers are developing and deploying state-of-the art tools and technologies in Narragansett Bay to monitor and predict the bay’s health in the face of environmental changes. The Bay Observatory is an integrated system of sensors collecting data which will help predict sea level rise and other climate issues effects as well as study human impacts on coastal ecosystems.
The University approached leading global data buoy manufacturers Ocean Scientific International Ltd (OSIL) to provide a durable and versatile oceanographic solar-powered buoy platform that can host and integrate the data collected from the Observatory’s sensors to support real-time or near real-time high-quality network of data for scientists.
USIL provided Tern Buoys that will host a series of sensors, a full suite of meteorological instruments, and a GPS tracking system. The buoys will be deployed year-round in Narragansett Bay and can withstand extreme weather conditions. They are suitable for all applications, including scientific studies, water quality monitoring, coastal engineering projects, harbor and coastal monitoring, and maritime traffic control.
Data collected via the buoy will be transmitted to a land-based monitoring system where it will be accessible and utilized by state and local community and business leaders to help protect community assets, for example, responses to harmful algae blooms events or unusual population shifts in fish and plant species.