Oceaanbuoys

Oceaanbuoys are floating devices deployed in the oceans to aid navigation, monitor weather and ocean conditions, and collect scientific data. They can be moored to the seabed or drift with currents, and some serve dual purposes as both navigational aids and data platforms.

Moored buoys are anchored at a fixed position and equipped with sensors for wind, wave height, water temperature and salinity, and atmospheric data. Drifting buoys, or drifters, have no persistent anchor and are released to move with currents, transmitting location and sensor data back to a receiving system.

Typical oceaanbuoy hardware includes a buoyancy hull, a mooring system or drogues, power sources such as solar panels and batteries, and communications equipment. Many carry radar reflectors or light beacons for daytime and nighttime visibility; satellite transmitters (such as Argos or Iridium) relay data to shore systems. Some buoys also host acoustic sensors, hydrophones, or oceanographic instruments for profiling water columns.

Data from oceaanbuoys support maritime safety, weather forecasting, climate research, and ocean monitoring networks. They are managed by national hydrographic offices, meteorological agencies, and research consortia, and their data are shared through international programs. In standardized buoyage, certain buoys mark navigation channels and hazards according to international conventions (IALA).

Historically, buoys have evolved from simple floats to sophisticated, autonomous platforms. Modern networks include tsunami detection buoys (DART), weather and ocean observation arrays, and profiling systems such as Argo floats. The term oceaanbuoys is sometimes used in Dutch-language contexts to describe ocean buoys generally.