Coming this spring: New-style CBIBS buoys in several current CBIBS locations!
While the original yellow buoys have served CBIBS well, several of them have been in use since 2007 and are getting a bit tired. Replacement buoys were recently delivered to the CBIBS warehouse so that the CBIBS technical team can begin assembling and testing them.
While the new buoys are slightly smaller than the original buoys, they will still hold the same sensors and therefore track the same measurements as the original buoys. The big benefit from being slightly smaller is that the buoys will be easier for the CBIBS team to maintain. In particular, where in the past the CBIBS team needed to work with partners that have a bigger boat to be able to deploy and retrieve buoys, the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office--which operates CBIBS--has a research vessel that will be able to perform those functions for the smaller buoys.
The CBIBS team will first deploy one buoy--likely at the Annapolis location to make access to the buoy easier from the team's home base--to accomplish some computer and data delivery configuration and testing. Then more will follow. We'll keep you posted as the new buoys come together!
