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Corps launches 'smart buoy' at historic milepost

October 2, 2008
Story and photos by Jerry Rogers
Norfolk District Public Affairs Office

NORFOLK, Va.—The crew of the Norfolk District's derrick boat Elizabeth and NOAA oceanographers deployed the sixth in a series of "smart buoys" in the Elizabeth River near downtown Norfolk, Sept. 26, to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Captain John Smith's exploration of the Elizabeth River in September 1608.

The Elizabeth crew deployed the smart buoy at milepost 0, the original nautical starting point of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, which provides pleasure boaters and commercial shippers with a protected inland channel between Norfolk and Miami.

As part of the Chesapeake Bay Interpretive Buoy System, or CBIBS, the smart buoy collects weather, oceanographic and water-quality observations and transmits this data – along with historical and cultural information about the Bay – wirelessly in near-real time. "These smart buoys are an example of NOAA's advancements in Earth-observing systems," said Mary Glackin, deputy under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere. "NOAA is working to improve our understanding of dynamic coastal areas like the Chesapeake Bay and how areas like the Bay are affected by changes in the global system."

CBIBS is the only operational buoy system in the Bay dedicated to maintaining the broad range of measurements necessary to track Bay restoration progress. These measurements include weather information, wind, temperature, relative humidity, barometric pressure, water quality, salinity dissolved oxygen concentration, turbidity, the amount of sediment in the water and chlorophyll. These water quality measurements include current speed and direction, at the surface, and all the way to the bottom.

This is the third of six smart buoys NOAA has launched with the help of the Corps' Elizabeth crew -- Captain Richard Bruton, Dennis Barnes, Stan Caldwell, Glen Boykin, Pete Jeffers and Erik Sherer. "We've had a great partnership with the Army Corps of Engineers in deploying these buoys…we couldn't do this without the Corps contribution," said Doug Wilson, program manager of the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office's Integrated Coastal Observations Program. "They've got the vessels, they've got a professional crew and everything just goes really smoothly whenever we use them."

Last spring, the crew teamed with NOAA on its maiden launch of the first CBIBS buoy in the James River, near historic Jamestown, Va., as part of the 400th anniversary celebration of the founding of the Jamestown Settlement. On July 19, the Elizabeth crew deployed the fourth smart buoy at the mouth of the Rappahannock River off Stingray Point in Deltaville, Va. The placement marked the 400th anniversary of Captain John Smith's exploration of the region. In July 1608, while using a sword to fish in shallow waters near the mouth of the Rappahannock River, Smith nearly died from the sting of a stingray. The peninsula where this incident occurred is Stingray Point.

The Elizabeth River smart buoy is the southernmost in the CBIBS network, which marks the Captain John Smith Chesapeake National Historic Trail, America's first national water trail. The 3,000-mile trail migrates through parts of Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia, along the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries. The trail transits routes taken by Captain John Smith in 1607 and 1608 to chart the land and waterways of the Chesapeake Bay. The trail highlights the natural history of the Bay and provides new opportunities for recreation, education and tourism in the Chesapeake Bay region, and encourages stewardship of this national treasure.

Before the Elizabeth River deployment, local, state and federal officials christened the smart buoy at a ceremony at Nauticus, the downtown maritime museum that is a partner in the science research project. Nauticus also unveiled a new interpretive kiosk on its front deck that allows museum visitors to access the buoy's real-time data. "This is the first CBIBS buoy to be funded through a partnership with a museum," said Peyton Robertson, director of the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office. "It will enhance our observations of the changing conditions of the Chesapeake Bay, provide real-time information for mariners and mark a significant spot in Captain Smith's remarkable exploration of the New World."

Nauticus Deputy Director Rolf Johnson said the kiosk represented the first link in the museum's long-term "digital seaport" initiative, which will provide opportunities for the public to access and explore interconnected information on various parts of the harbor, including historic, environmental and scientific content.

Measurements, as well as historical and cultural information on the CBIBS network are at www.buoybay.org and by phone at 877-BUOY-BAY (877-286-9229). Online educational resources are also available at www.noaa.gov.

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