FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 9, 2008

Contact: Catherine Schmitt, 207.581.1434

Safety, climate information at risk with loss of Gulf of Maine observing network
Outcry leads to interim rescue for Penobscot Bay buoy

ORONO – An observation buoy in Penobscot Bay used by fishermen, boaters, scientists and the U.S. Coast Guard will continue to collect oceanographic data for another year, thanks to recent funding secured from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The Penobscot Bay buoy is part of the Gulf of Maine Ocean Observing System (GoMOOS), one of many regional ocean observing networks around the country that are experiencing a funding shortfall. This September, GoMOOS staff announced that they only had enough money to deploy six of the 11 buoys in the observing system.

"When word got out that we were going to lose the Penobscot Bay buoy, we received many expressions of alarm and regret from the public, from the Coast Guard, and the National Weather Service in Gray. Half of the letters we received singled out the Penobscot Bay buoy as a particularly serious loss," said Dr. Neal Pettigrew, professor of oceanography at the University of Maine and the chief scientist of GoMOOS.

The buoys record real-time data on currents, temperature, salinity, wind and waves. According to Chief Warrant Officer Curtis Barthel of the U.S. Coast Guard in Rockland, "The buoy provides us with vital weather data that we need to make critical operational decisions. Most important, our Personnel Protective Gear requirements are all based on the water temperature and this buoy gives us the most relevant data for the area in which we operate. The limitations of our boats are dictated by the wind speed and wave height. We are underway almost daily and the wind and wave data from this buoy are crucial to us making the right decision on what boat to take for every mission."

Dr. Pettigrew contacted Maine Sea Grant director Paul Anderson, who was able to secure funding from NOAA for ship operations to help keep the buoy operational for another year. Last week, University of Maine staff deployed the Penobscot Bay buoy. "The money from Sea Grant was a fraction of what we need to keep the buoy functional. Additional funds are needed to defray the ongoing expenses of operating the buoy and to prepare for the spring redeployment," cautioned Pettigrew.

The Penobscot Bay buoy has been collecting environmental data since 1996, a record that is especially relevant in light of current efforts to restore populations of sea-run fish. One way scientists will be able to document restoration success is by monitoring fish movement using systems such as GoMOOS. "In addition to tracking Atlantic salmon, we have detected striped bass and sturgeon using GoMOOS buoys. Some of our fish have been found even farther away with this technology," said John Kocik of NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service Maine Field Station in Orono.

Other researchers have used the buoys to track water quality changes in water entering the bay from the Penobscot River, and to detect long-term changes in climate and weather. "Long records such as the one we have with this buoy are difficult to come by, and they become more valuable with each year of operation," explained Pettigrew.

Tom Shyka of GoMOOS said the loss of these buoys will be an immediate threat to safety at sea, climate change research, fisheries management, and much more. "We are looking for all opportunities to keep as many buoys in the water as possible," said Shyka.

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Maine Sea Grant, based at the University of Maine and sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the State of Maine, supports marine and coastal scientific research and education. In partnership with University of Maine Cooperative Extension, members of our Marine Extension Team work in coastal communities from Wells to Eastport, focusing on Maine's coastal natural resources and the people who depend on them.
www.seagrant.umaine.edu