A measuring buoy is an anchored floating device on which measuring instruments are installed. VLIZ has installed a buoy at the artificial reefs in the C-power wind farm, on the Belgian part of the North Sea. A CTD is mounted on the buoy in order to obtain continuous measurements of the temperature and salinity of the seawater to which sensors are added measuring the turbidity, current intensity, amount of dissolved oxygen, pH and the productivity of the seawater. In addition, a fish acoustic receiver network is installed to study and map the behavior and migration patterns of fish around the artificial reefs. A C-POD, used for toothed whale detection, is also attached to it. The presence of a permanent fixed measuring station in the sea provides an added value to marine research. The Thornton Buoy is a Class 1 Ocean Station.

http://www.vliz.be/en/buoy

PI:  dr. Thanos Gkritzalis (Thanosg@vliz.be)

Full dataset: Thornton Buoy (icos-cp.eu)