U. Maine Launches New Buoy At Damariscotta River Mouth

University of Maine's ocean-observing buoy. (Credit: Neal Pettigrew)

Scientists at the University of Maine have deployed a new buoy to observe conditions at the mouth of the Damariscotta River, which empties into the Atlantic Ocean, according to a release. They hope the buoy will reveal information useful for developing aquaculture activities that could one day exist in the area.

In addition, data from the buoy will be used by classes at U. Maine that are looking to teach students about water circulation at the mouth of the river. Scientists will also use the data in ecosystem models of the Damariscotta and where it meets the ocean. These will be complemented by field work and lab analyses.

The new buoy is powered by solar panels and supports equipment that measures air temperature, wind strength and direction and wave height. Other sensors capture data on water temperature down to 65 feet, conductivity and chlorophyll levels. The monitoring platform was funded as part of the National Science Foundation’s Sustainable Ecological Aquaculture Network project.

Top image: University of Maine’s ocean-observing buoy. (Credit: Neal Pettigrew)