Competitive field testing of moored buoy communications systems

Communications are crucial to ocean observing systems. The Gulf of Maine Ocean Observing System (GOMOOS) relies on an analog cell phone or Iridium satellite phone for primary communications, and a GOES satellite transmitter for backup. New communication technology has evolved since the design of the GOMOOS system which pushes the envelope of buoy communications. With the anticipated phase out of analog cell phone service, new technologies are being considered for primary buoy communications. During the spring turnaround of the GOMOOS moored buoy array on the Research Vessel Delaware and Research Vessel Argo Maine, a shipboard survey of the Gulf of Maine with competing communications technology is planned. Analog and two types of digital cell phone, GOES, Iridium, and Global Star systems will be compared at sea for reliability, coverage, and throughput. Systems that show promise as suitable for moored Ocean Data Acquisition Station applications will be installed on selected GOMOOS moorings as a backup communication system to do long term reliability testing.