What's New
Approximate location of the enhanced NDBC 44008 weather buoy shown with a typical summertime sea surface temperature pattern in the region, where warm colors correspond to warmer temperatures and cool colors correspond to cooler temperatures. The arrows indicate the return surface flow north of the Gulf Stream, with the larger arrow on the bottom left depicting the direction and magnitude of the Gulf Stream. The black contour depicts the New England shelf region. Image credit: Dr. Gordon Zhang, WHOI, NES-LTER
Enhanced weather buoy 44008 deployed on 9 May 2025 at 40.50°N 69.25°W. Photo courtesy of James Elliott, NDBC.
On May 9, 2025, a research-enhanced weather buoy was deployed at 40.50°N 69.25°W for an expected observing period of one year. Working alongside a team of engineers and technicians at the National Data Buoy Center (NDBC), Dr. Yolande Serra's (UW/CICOES) project has enhanced weather buoy 44008 with additional surface and subsurface sensors. The station, located on the New England shelf on the north side of the core Gulf Stream current in 72 meters of water, has standard measurements of wave height and period, sea surface temperature, wind speed and direction, air temperature, humidity, and surface pressure available from all NDBC operational weather buoys. This project's enhancements include a current meter at 3 meter depth, subsurface temperature, salinity, and pressure sensors distributed at depths from 5 to 55 meters, an upward looking acoustic doppler current profiler at 55 meter depth, and upward looking solar and infrared radiometers mounted on the buoy tower.
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