Marine Institute of Memorial University of
Newfoundland (MUN) uses AXYS Buoys to
create SmartBay
Newfoundland
Canada
Located on the south coast of Newfoundland, Placentia Bay is
fringed by a host of small communities, all of which rely to
some extent on the adjoining waters for their livelihood. The
bay is considered an environmentally sensitive area, hosting
an abundant and diverse marine ecosystem.
Part of Memorial University in Newfoundland, the
Marine Institute, located in St John’s, is committed:
To foster economic development in strategic sectors of the
Newfoundland economy, particularly the fisheries and offshore,
and to enable Newfoundlanders to participate in the Marine
Industry nationally and internationally.
The Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland
(MUN) received funding to start Smart Bay, a Demonstration
Project in Placentia Bay located along Canada’s most eastern
province of Newfoundland.
The objective of the Placentia Bay Demonstration Project is to
strengthen the technology and information base on which
decisions are being made.
“Simple access by all stakeholders to data and information in support of effective
management and sustainable development of coastal and ocean areas and the safety and
security of life at sea.”
MUN Requirements:
Ocean monitoring platforms that could reliably measure meteorological &
oceanographic data parameters year-round while surviving the icy waters of
Placentia Bay.
Meteorological Sensors:
• wind speed & direction
• air temperature
• barometric pressure
• relative humidity
Oceanographic Sensors:
• wave height, period & direction
• current speed & direction
• conductivity
• depth
• temperature
AXYS Technical Solution:
Metocean Buoys
AXYS WatchKeeper™ Buoy
AXYS 3 Metre Buoy
Given the water depth, distance from shore, and expected local currents, winds and
vessel traffic in the area, the 3 Metre and WatchKeeper™ data collection buoys were
chosen as the optimal platforms.
AXYS Solution:
3 Metre Buoy
The aluminum 3 Metre
buoy is a proven design
and rugged metocean
platform that can be
configured with a wide
range of sensors.
Rechargeable batteries
and solar panels ensure
the buoys are completely
self-sustaining.
AXYS Solution:
WatchKeeper ™
The AXYS WatchKeeper™ is a
rotationally molded 1.7m
diameter polyethylene buoy
internationally proven as an aid
to navigation (AToN).
Like all AXYS metocean buoys,
the WatchKeeper™ can be
configured with any type of
instrumentation for monitoring
weather, air & water quality,
waves and currents.
Deployment:
AXYS Field Service Specialists deployed the first 3m
buoy at the mouth of Placentia Bay August 18, 2006.
Deployment:
In June 2010, two additional AXYS buoys were deployed:
WatchKeeper™ buoy at Come
By Chance Point at the head of
Placentia Bay.
3 Metre buoy at the Pilot
Boarding Station at the south
end of Red Island.
Mooring:
AXYS Field Service Specialists worked closely with MUN
to understand the local environmental marine profile.
An inverse
catenary mooring
design was
selected based on
factors including,
buoy size &
weight, length of
operation, water
depth and
estimated current
profile.
Communications:
Real-time and archived data from the SmartBay buoys is freely available
to the public. The data is used by SmartBay.ca to develop the custom
weather and sea-state forecasts for Placentia Bay and is available on this
site.
The AIS
functionality allows
ships within
Placentia Bay to
automatically
receive information
every 20 minutes
directly from the
buoys.
Benefits:
Better Decision-Making
Help decision makers make timely, efficient and appropriate
decisions, taking into consideration all competing demands on a
particular resource or ocean area
Benefits:
Research
Support research into long-term
issues, such as stock
sustainability.
Benefits:
Safety at Sea
Help users of coastal and ocean
resources operate more safely and
efficiently, with less impact on the
environment.
Enhance safety and operational
efficiency for oil tankers transiting the
Bay.
Over 300 million barrels of oil are
transported through Placentia Bay
every year, making it one of the busiest
ports in Canada.
SmartBay improves access to information for management and
sustainable development of the diverse coastal and ocean resources in
Placentia Bay.
AXYS are experts in the design, manufacturing and maintenance of
remote environmental data acquisition, processing and telemetry
systems.
For More Information please contact:
AXYS Technologies Inc. Marine Systems
Phone: +1 (250) 655-5850
E-mail: info@axys.com
www.axystechnologies.com