by Kelsey White Department of Aquatic Resource and Fisheries Management

Most of us check the weather before we leave for work. But what if your workplace is the ocean?

Along Nova Scotia’s coastline, thousands of people depend on the sea every day — fishers, marine operators, researchers, surfers, beachgoers. There are surprisingly few instruments in the water that measure what the ocean is doing.

Across the Atlantic Coast of Mi’kma’ki, six government-owned wave buoys are in service — three inshore, three offshore — to cover the entire region. The three inshore buoys sit roughly 200 km apart (measured from Halifax Harbour to East/West Chedabucto Bay), leaving a long stretch of coast without reliable real-time data.

Why ocean data matters

The ocean is powerful, beautiful — and unpredictable. Accurate local wave and wind data lets people decide whether it is safe to head to sea, plan fishing trips, prepare for storms, and protect their equipment, infrastructure, and lives.

Recent technology developments have made it more cost effective and easier to collect reliable ocean data. A compact, solar-powered wave buoy can measure wave height, period, and direction, plus wind conditions and sea surface temperature. It then sends the data back to shore (and to your phone) in near real-time.

A community solution in Wine Harbour

One well located buoy can serve useful ocean data to a wide range of communities, businesses, and organizations. In Octobe ...

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