The Scripps Institution of Oceanography Marine Observatory-towards an integrated observing facility for the coastal ocean and atmosphere

Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO), in collaboration with NOAA National Data Buoy Center and the Office of Naval Research, is developing a marine observatory to facilitate measurements of the physical, biological and chemical properties of the coastal ocean and coastal atmosphere. Two 10-m diameter buoys are the main components of the observatory. They will be positioned between 5 and 30 km offshore of the SIO campus in La Jolla. Electrical power is supplied by batteries and a diesel generator, designed for autonomous operation. A single point mooring anchors the buoys and vanes force them to point to windward for atmospheric chemistry and turbulence measurements. When a fixed orientation is required the buoys can be held stationary by attaching temporary moorings to additional pad eyes on the bottom of the hull. The data will be telemetered to SIO and processed for real-time display and acquisition. Deployment of the buoys is scheduled for early 1997. The facility will be available to researchers, engineers, resource managers and others to help develop new technologies, to provide long time series measurements and to support fundamental studies of the coastal ocean and atmosphere.