WeatherFlow has teamed up with several other groups in a NOAA imitative to collect data off of a newly installed buoy near Annapolis Maryland.
Annapolis Harbor Buoy real time water quality and meteorological data can be viewed with any cell phone that supports web browsing at: chesapeakebay.noaa.gov/ahb.aspx. For water quality data only use chesapeakebay.noaa.gov/ahbwq.aspx, or for meteorological data only use chesapeakebay.noaa.gov/ahbwx.aspx.
Buoys in the system will be distributed around the Bay and will collect and deliver many measurements in real time, including meteorological, physical, water quality, water level, chemical, and biological observations. Data from the buoys, and other environmental, geographic, and historical information, will be delivered via the internet. Eventually, the public will also be able to access observations while on the water via wireless technology.
In addition to providing real-time observations as a component of the Chesapeake Bay Observing System, the buoys will support community education and classroom activities. The buoys will be part of the planned Chesapeake Bay Interpretive Buoy System (CBIBS) and Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Water Trail; the first fully developed CBIBS buoy will be in place in the James River in time for the commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, Virginia, in April 2007.
Numerous organizations and companies have contributed to this particular demonstration poject – click on their links below. Bill Boicourt of the University of Maryland’s Horn Point Laboratory made the buoy platform available. WetLabs corporation of Philomath, Oregon, supplied a Water Quality Monitoring instrument. Weatherflow provided meteorological instrumentation. Annapolis Wireless provided WiFi connectivity to the buoy. The City of Annapolis Harbormaster’s Office provided access to an Annapolis Harbor mooring. Blue Water Yacht sales is hosting a radio receiver for meteorological data.