PacIOOS Wave Buoy 276: Utwe, Kosrae, FSM

Wave buoy 276 measures wave height, wave direction, wave period, water temperature, air temperature, and surface currents at Utwe, Kosrae, approximately 1.2 miles (2 km) offshore of Foko Mosral (Mosral Point), the southernmost point in the Malem municipality on the island of Kosrae in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). About 2 mi (3 km) west of Foko Mosral along the southern coast at the mouth of Finkol River lies Utwe Ma (Utwe Village), the capital of adjacent Utwe (or Utwa) municipality. Wave data are transmitted every half hour. Surface currents data are transmitted every 10 minutes. Water and air temperature data are transmitted every 5 minutes. Moored in water 570 meters deep, this Datawell Directional Waverider DRW4 buoy is equipped with three accelerometers measuring north/south, east/west, and vertical displacements, allowing it to measure both wave direction and wave energy. This buoy also uses an acoustic current meter (ACM) to measure the speed and direction of ocean currents at approximately 1 meter below the surface. The water temperature sensor is located at the base of the 0.9 meter spherical buoy, approximately 45 cm or 18 inches below the ocean surface. A compact air temperature (CAT4) sensor is attached to the antenna at approximately 2 meters above the ocean surface. Wave buoys are useful tools for forecasting local waves and are used by recreational and professional ocean users alike.