Wave Buoy

Lng: -82.23028 Lat: 26.46756Back to site data

Description

This buoy is located 3.5 miles west of Blind Pass in the Gulf of Mexico.This offshore site is capable of measuring, wave height and period, wind speed and direction, surface current speed and direction, as well as air temperature and barometric pressure.

Data collected here is important for monitoring events such as red tide or other harmful algae blooms. By knowing the wind speed/direction in combination with surface current speed and direction, scientists can forecast and track where the blooms may be going. Wave height and period will be helpful in terms of organisms washing up on our beaches: when the wave action is heavy, things that are normally attached to the bottom - such as red drift algae or pen shells - can break loose and wash ashore.

This site was funded by a grant from the West Coast Inland Navigation District.