Australian uni deploys solar-powered wave buoys to gather ocean data

The University of Western Australia (UWA) is advancing wave forecasting capabilities with the deployment of small drifting wave buoys designed to provide ocean data in real time.   

This initiative, led by UWA’s ARC Industrial Transformation Research Hub for Transforming Energy Infrastructure through Digital Engineering (TIDE), aims to close gaps in wave observation and improve the accuracy of forecasts for marine-dependent industries, UWA stated.

Jeff Hansen, Associate Professor at UWA’s School of Earth Sciences and Oceans Institute and Project Lead at TIDE explained that the small, solar-powered buoys measure wave height, period, and direction.

“These new low-cost wave buoys now make it possible to collect detailed wave data, in real-time, from the middle of the ocean, where historically we haven’t had observations of waves,” Hansen said. 

The four recently launched wave buoys were released in the Indian Ocean during a voyage from Heard Island, a sub-Antarctic region of Australia, with support from Austral Fisheries. UWA noted that these additions will complement an existing fleet of 10 drifting buoys, further expanding its marine observation network.

According to UWA, data collected by these buoys will enhance wave forecasting models by addressing a long-standing issue in the field – the lack of data assimilation. 

“This allows us to compare and feed these data into wave forecasting models to improve their accuracy, something we’re working on with the Bureau of Meteorology,” Hansen noted.

Wave forecasting models have traditionally lagged behind atmospheric models in precision due to limited observational data. The real-time inputs from the buoys, combined with satellite measurements, are set to fill this gap, UWA noted. 

“Forecasting is inherently difficult as errors often compound in time leading to incorrect forecasts, but by using observations and data assimilation we can improve the starting point of each seven-day forecast, produced several times a day,” Hansen added.

“If the starting point is wrong, the rest of the forecast is likely to be wrong.”

The project’s advancements have been bolstered by investment from Australia’s Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS), making all real-time data publicly accessible. 

Hansen added: “We aim to enable all those dependent on the ocean, including aquaculture, tourism operators, local fishermen, and surfers, to better prepare and be safe out on the water.”

In October, Blue Economy CRC unveiled a report, led by UWA, outlining seven key recommendations to drive the advancement of Australia’s wave energy industry.