NNMREC and NOAA explore Puget Sound’s currents

NNMREC, together with NOAA, will be performing a current survey throughout Puget Sound, Washington, US, to ensure the accuracy of tidal current predictions.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOOA) through its Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) will be performing a current survey throughout Puget Sound over the next three years.

The observations collected during this survey will enable NOAA to provide tidal current predictions to commercial and recreational mariners that depend on this information for safe navigation.

To collect the data they need, NOAA scientists will deploy Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCPs) to measure the currents throughout the water column for one to four months at 138 different locations, according to NOAA.

The observations collected from the ADCPs will be processed and used to generate tidal current predictions at these locations.

Also, in partnership with the University of Washington Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center (NNMREC), acoustic hydrophones will be deployed at a select number of locations to observe background noise and perform an acoustic census of the Sound.

This acoustic census will help researchers better determine the environmental consequences of noise from anthropogenic sources like ships and construction.

All of the data collected by CO-OPS in Puget Sound will also be made available to other federal and state agencies and the academic and research community to support a variety of operational and research missions – including future marine renewable energy developments.

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Image: NNMREC/Illustration