Smart Buoys are Monitoring Water Quality and Sound Around San Diego Bay
Bright, yellow pods with a blinking light are beginning to pepper San Diego Bay. They might be mistaken for weather buoys, but they are “smart buoys,” put in place to monitor various environmental conditions.
Chained and anchored to the seafloor in the South Bay off National City, the buoys’ internal computers get to work, aggregating data in “near real-time” and displaying results on an online dashboard, according to the Port of San Diego’s Web site.
These particular smart buoys are fitted with various sensors developed “to collect and aggregate data in near real-time” and display results on an online dashboard.
Frank Ramspott / Getty
Designed and installed by HyperKelp’s objective is to monitor Chlorophyll A (in order to algae blooms), conductivity (denoting salinity across the harbor), and Co2 (to directly measure emissions). That’s quite the heavy lift, even for a piece of technology, but these models appear to be up to the task.
The collected data is then intended to inform and support the development of initiatives. Local organizations, such as the Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute, also have access to the data collected.
HyperKelp’s recent work is in conjunction with the Port of San Diego Blue Economy initiative, an “impact investment” strategy to improve and commercialize new environmental technologies for a better San Diego Bay.
This past fall, HyperKelp was also awarded a $1.3 million U.S. Navy contract for the buoys’ counter-hypersonic detection technology, which must be a nice little boost for the nascent company, and which goes to show that they’re not only good for environmental concerns, but a nice layer of national security. That’s thanks to their compact sonobuoy system that, according to HyperKelp, can deliver surface-based intelligence on hypersonic (Mach 5) threats.
HyperKelp is one of 10 participating companies and counting, and the Blue Economy initiative does not appear to be slouching.
We can think of no dearth of other ports that could stand to follow suit.