1. What is a buoy? bu·oy ˈbo͞oē,boi/
This PPT is designed to be used with students prior to visiting the INFINITY Science Center and the Environmental Monitoring Exhibitis.

2. A buoy is……

3. Some buoys are navigational buoys and aid boaters to Coast Guard regulations. A mark with a circle indicates a regulated operation, in this case, a “NO wake zone.”
Photo credit: Timothy Pokorny

4. United States Coast Guard
Boaters use navigational buoys just like a driver of a car uses traffic signals to navigate through a neighborhood, town, or city.

5. This buoy collects important information about weather and the ocean’s temperature. Scientists use the data to look for patterns over time to predict the weather.

6. How is a buoy used to collect data?

7. Some buoys are “moored” or connected to the ocean floor.
The satellite and cell phone communications send sound waves to the data collection center.

8. Retrieved: http://www.jcommops.org/dbcp/data/datauses.html
Notes for educators:
What are the buoys used for?
There are numerous applications for buoy data, which complement data collected through other means such as satellites:
Weather forecasts.
Meteorological models routinely assimilate observational data, under the World Weather Watch, from various sources including satellites, weather balloons, land stations, floats, ships, and data buoys. Most of the models are global and assimilate observational data from all sources to generate national forecasts.  Buoy data are crucial because deployed in data sparse ocean area where no other source of valuable data are available.
Marine forecasting.
Buoy data are critical for producing improved marine forecasts.
Hurricane or Cyclone forecasts can be improved by placing drifting buoys (with sub surface temperature measurements) into hotspots
Seasonal Forecasting. 
Using data buoys and other instruments such as sub-surface floats, many advanced oceanographic models now can be used to predict global or regional events and other ocean disturbances.
Safety at sea.
Several nations have successfully used surface wind and ocean current information from the buoys to help locate missing or overdue boats.
Assistance to fisheries.
Sea surface temperature is an important tool to find many different species of fish. The buoys provide this information to weather centres daily. These centres, in turn, produce charts of sea surface temperature and distribute them to assist and also control fishing activity.
Environmental observations required in support of meteorological and oceanographic services and research are discussed in relevant WMO and IOC publications.
Climate prediction, meteorological and oceanographic research.
For example, researchers use the data from the equatorial Pacific moorings (TAO) to predict future changes in the world's climate, such as the El Niño / Southern Oscillation phenomenon. El Niño events involve disruptions in the ocean surface winds and the upper ocean temperature pattern. These disruptions lead to seasonal climate variations and changes in fish migration patterns throughout the world ocean.
The National Data Buoy Center collects data from buoys from all over the world. How can buoys be used to help a local fisherman?

9. NOAA’s National Data Buoy Center Data
Gulf of Mexico
By clicking on the region students want to view, they can see a close up view of the different buoys in the area. This is a view of all the buoys from NOAA’s National Data Buoy Center of the Gulf of Mexico.

10. Bay Waveland Yacht Club, MS
How can local fishermen use buoy data in their daily life? Let’s take a closer look at one buoy station.
Station WYCM6
Bay Waveland Yacht Club, MS
What are the buoys used for?
There are numerous applications for buoy data, which complement data collected through other means such as satellites:
Weather forecasts. Meteorological models routinely assimilate observational data, under the World Weather Watch, from various sources including satellites, weather balloons, land stations, floats, ships, and data buoys. Most of the models are global and assimilate observational data from all sources to generate national forecasts.  Buoy data are crucial because deployed in data sparse ocean area where no other source of valuable data are available.
Marine forecasting. Buoy data are critical for producing improved marine forecasts.
Hurricane or Cyclone forecasts can be improved by placing drifting buoys (with sub surface temperature measurements) into hotspots
Seasonal Forecasting. Using data buoys and other instruments such as sub-surface floats, many advanced oceanographic models now can be used to predict global or regional events and other ocean disturbances.
Safety at sea. Several nations have successfully used surface wind and ocean current information from the buoys to help locate missing or overdue boats.
Assistance to fisheries. Sea surface temperature is an important tool to find many different species of fish. The buoys provide this information to weather centres daily. These centres, in turn, produce charts of sea surface temperature and distribute them to assist and also control fishing activity.
Environmental observations required in support of meteorological and oceanographic services and research are discussed in relevant WMO and IOC publications.

11. Data Collected at the Bay Waveland Yacht Club, MS
Station Name
Latitude and Longitude
Instrument Protocols
Station Location

12. Information collected at this buoy.

13. Data Collection Instruments at Bay Waveland Yacht Club, MS
Weather instruments are used to collect the following information at this location:
wind direction,
wind speed,
wind gust,
atmospheric pressure,
air temperature, and
water temperature.
Photographs of Station Bay Waveland Yacht Club, MS
Use of Data and Products
The information on government servers are in the public domain, unless specifically annotated otherwise, and may be used freely by the public. Before using information obtained from this server, special attention should be given to the date and time of the data and products being displayed. This information shall not be modified in content and then presented as official government material.
The user assumes the entire risk related to its use of these data. NOS is providing these data "as is," and NOS disclaims any and all warranties, whether express or implied, including (without limitation) any implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. In no event will NOS be liable to you or to any third party for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, special or exemplary damages or lost profit resulting from any use or misuse of this data.
NOS requests that attribution be given whenever NOS material is reproduced and re-disseminated. Pursuant to 17 U.S.C. 403, third parties producing copyrighted (compilation) works consisting predominantly of material created by Federal Government employees are encouraged to provide notice with such work(s) identifying the U.S. Government material incorporated and stating that such material is not subject to copyright protection.

14. What can you learn from the data collected at this buoy?
How often is information collected at this buoy?
What does WDIR stand for?
What is the temperature difference for the times shown in this chart?
What other pattern(s) can you observe from looking at the data collected at this site?

15. What have you learned about buoys?
Answer the question in your science notebook.
What new questions do you have about buoys?
What resources could you use to find the answer(s)?
Refer back to the previous notes about buoys