Researchers successfully test wave-rider buoy to track storm intensity
In late spring 2025, an NCCOS-funded research team was awarded $7,360 to successfully install and test a wave-rider buoy that will be used to collect wave data in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island. The buoy will help scientists monitor and characterize storms.
This research builds onto a larger Effects of Sea Level Rise (ESLR) project that explores how effectively natural infrastructure (such as living shorelines and restored sand dunes) protects beaches from storm surges and sea level rise. Equipped with satellite communication that transmits data to researchers via an online portal every thirty minutes, the buoy will provide the team with access to wave data in near-real time.
U.S. coastal states have increasingly invested resources toward protecting coastal communities from erosion and flooding using natural infrastructure. However, a critical gap in many projects is the ability to assess the effectiveness of natural infrastructure under varying storm conditions. Data from the research team's wave-rider buoy will inform assessments of southern Rhode Island's beach barrier systems in the face of extreme weather.
Researchers, with the help of undergraduate students from the University of Rhode Island, deployed the buoy alongside a similar wave-measuring device to check for consistency in the measurements across both instruments. This direct comparison validated the accuracy of the buoy, allowing the team to proceed with collecting wave and storm data for their research project. Future work will include comparisons with wave-sensing lidar and the testing of wave reconstruction algorithms to better characterize waves in the nearshore environment.