U.S. Government buying more SeaKeeper 1000™ systems

The U. S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is purchasing an increasing number of the SeaKeeper 1000™ monitoring systems. While most units purchased by NOAA up to now have been utilized by the National Weather Service (NWS), perhaps the best known division of NOAA, additional units have been commissioned and more are about to be deployed by the agency's National Marine Sanctuaries Program.

At this time, SeaKeepers systems are deployed on two buoy stations (41035, 41036) in Onslow Bay, NC. Only after extensive testing were these systems approved and deployed. The process included six months in Gulfport Harbor, another year offshore Gulfport on its Ocean Test Platform, and 18 months on the Fowey Rocks Lighthouse. Another unit will be placed in service on station (44013) outside the Boston Harbor. The real-time data collected from these stations can be tracked on the NDBC website at www.ndbc.noaa.gov

SeaKeeper 1000™ systems are also being deployed on the research vessels of NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuaries Program. The national marine sanctuaries are federally protected waters that provide safe habitats for species close to extinction or protect historically significant underwater archaeological sites. Sanctuary habitats encompass more than 18,000 square miles of marine and Great Lakes waters, ranging in size from less than one square mile to more than 5,300 square miles. They include beautiful rocky reefs, lush kelp forests, whale migration corridors, and spectacular deep-sea canyons.

The SeaKeeper 1000™ system is currently operating on NOAA’s research vessel Fulmar, a 65' aluminum catamaran that averages approximately 200 days at sea. This ship monitors the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, but also serves the adjacent Cordell Bank and Gulf of the Farallones sanctuaries. In addition to Fulmar, NOAA has commissioned additional SeaKeeper 1000™ units for deployment on its research vessels Shearwater, which monitors the Channel Islands sanctuary off the coast of California; Auk, which monitors the Stellwagen Bank sanctuary in the Massachusetts Bay; and on a third vessel, which will begin operating fall 2007 in the Flower Garden Banks sanctuary off the coast of Galveston, TX.

Dr. Richard Spinrad, NOAA’s Assistant Administrator for Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, said one of the great benefits SeaKeepers monitors provide are their modular sensor technology: "Modular sensor designs are an important consideration in our development of the Integrated Ocean Observing System. These concepts may lead to reduced costs and increased data flow. At NOAA we are eager to work towards fully integrated sensor capabilities, thus ensuring the interoperability of a broad range of sensors and observing systems."

The SeaKeeper 1000™ enables software and hardware on multiple machines from multiple vendors to communicate. While the system was originally tested on private yachts, it offers real opportunities for applications in more widely diverse locations. The National Data Buoy Center (NDBC), a component of the NWS, has more than 150 sea buoys and fixed installations specifically deployed to gather marine weather information. All buoy stations measure wind speed, direction, and gust; barometric pressure; air temperature; sea surface temperature; and wave height and period. Buoy stations equipped with the modular SeaKeeper 1000™ also measure conductivity, dissolved oxygen, pH, and other optional parameters such as near surface chlorophyll (plankton levels) and turbidity (water transparency).

"We are extremely pleased that NOAA is increasing its purchases for the SeaKeeper 1000™," stated SeaKeepers CEO John Englander. "This endorsement is a true measure of the value and success of our innovative system."

About NOAA

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) is a federal agency focused on the condition of the oceans and the atmosphere. It plays several distinct roles within the Department of Commerce.

One of the most important resources in our society is information. NOAA supplies information to its customers that pertains to the state of the oceans and the atmosphere. This is clearly manifest in the production of weather warnings and forecasts through the National Weather Service, but NOAA’s information products extend to climate, ecosystems and commerce as well.

NOAA also is the steward of national coastal and marine environments. In coordination with federal, state, local, tribal and international authorities, NOAA manages the use of these environments, regulating fisheries and marine sanctuaries as well as protecting threatened and endangered marine species.

NOAA is a trusted source of accurate and objective scientific information in four particular areas of national and global importance:

Ecosystems: Ensure the sustainable use of resources and balance competing uses of coastal and marine ecosystems, recognizing both their human and natural components.
Climate: Understand changes in climate, including the El Niño phenomenon, to ensure that we can plan and respond properly.
Weather & Water: Provide data and forecasts for weather and water cycle events, including storms, droughts and floods.
Commerce & Transportation: Provide weather, climate, and ecosystem information to make sure individual and commercial transportation is safe, efficient and environmentally sound.

For more information, visit www.noaa.gov.