The CBIBS field team was able to repair the Potomac buoy (off Point Lookout) and as of April 10, data is once again flowing from this location.
The team continues to work through some challenges with equipment that sustained damage over the winter due to sustained freezing temperatures. We plan to have three other buoys—Annapolis, Gooses Reef, and Stingray Point—up and running by the summer.
The CBIBS team redeployed the Baltimore Harbor CBIBS buoy on March 19. Data are once again flowing: The water is still a chilly 45 degrees, so be safe out there if you head out on the water. The team is working hard to get additional buoys back on line as we emerge from winter.
The Stingray Point buoy is no longer reporting data. We suspect that this is because the onboard batteries are no longer successfully charging. The Gooses Reef and Potomac buoys are not reporting data, possibly due to damage from ice. We’re hopeful that these buoys are collecting data but just not sending data back to shore. Our team is working to get out on the water for an initial diagnosis and potential repair.
The Baltimore Harbor and Annapolis buoys were pulled in mid-January to keep them safe from ice damage. They will be redeployed when temperatures warm to an appropriate level. Gooses Reef and Potomac buoys are not communicating, perhaps due to icing on the solar panels or antenna or other weather-related issues. When the weather allows, we hope to get out to diagnose any other issues if they persist.
The NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office’s Fall 2025 Seasonal Summary describes how Bay conditions in September–November differed from average—and how those differences may have affected important species in the Chesapeake. Here are some of the elements discussed in the Fall 2025 Seasonal Summary.
At the end of each meteorological season, scientists analyze data from the previous three months. They define whether conditions were average—or whether they differed from average.
Each season, NCBO scientists compile and analyze data to define whether conditions were average—or whether they differed from average.
The NOAA CBIBS Patapsco buoy has been redeployed and renamed the NOAA CBIBS Baltimore Harbor buoy to better reflect its location. It had been pulled to keep it, and its sensors, safe from potential damage due to icing over the winter.
Data from CBIBS buoys, satellites, and other sources can highlight where water conditions differ from average.
The NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office’s (NCBO) seasonal summaries use data collected from CBIBS buoys, satellites, and other data sources to assess water conditions.