Web Click or Call - Real Time Buoy and Whale Listening Information available 24 hours a Day from NERACOOS

Recent talk By J. Ru Morrison, Ph.D
Executive Director of NERACOOS
at 2nd Annual Maritime
Summit Gloucester, MA

I had the recent pleasure of learning about NERACOOS (Northeastern Regional Asso. of Coastal Ocean Observing Systems) at the 2nd Annual Maritime Summit put on by the City of Gloucester at Cruiseport Gloucester. J. Ru Morrison their Executive Director gave a talk about their buoys which are critical to protecting lives and property of mariners and coastal residents alike.

They were established in 2008 as part of the U.S. integrated Ocean Observing System. NERACOOS is the regional arm of that organization serving the coastal waters of the Northeast. Where economically valuable industries such as fishing, shipping, and tourism who depend on ocean and weather data.

NERACOOS provides this vital data through a system of buoys and listening devices which improve the safety and stewardship of the Northeast Coast.

They have REAL-TIME buoy data on the Web. If you go to their website at www.neracoos.org you will see inactive maps showing wind speed, direction, and gust as well as wave height, air pressure, air temperature, water temperature, and right whale presence.  The right whale listening stations are monitored by The Cornell Lab of Ornithology and real time smart buoys which listen for whale calls all day. This information is critical to ship captains so they will know where the whales are and how to avoid them thus saving whales http://www.listenforwhales.org .

 There is also the ability to "dial a buoy" by calling 888-701-8992 over a touch tone or cell phone. This could prove to be invaluable for fishermen and mariners. 

This NERACOOS Organization is really a partnership composed of 25 different universities, government agencies, businesses, and non profit organizations all working together to contribute to all the people who can benefit form Ocean Information.

 It is really amazing and so interesting to learn about what these NERACOOS buoys can do and to visit their website and actually be able to click on a buoy and get real time information. Maybe someday these buoys will have their own facebook page and twitter out updates! Thanks to the City of Gloucester's 2nd Annual Maritime Summit, I now know about them! 

Melissa Abbott

Director Sales and Marketing

Seaport Grille

Gloucester Marine Terminal

Cruiseport Gloucester

978-852-0381 Cell

978-392-0198 Skype

MelissaAbbott@CruiseportGloucester.com
CruiseportGloucester.com