Backyard Buoys

Backyard Buoys

The Backyard Buoys™ project enables Indigenous and coastal communities to gather and use wave data, enhancing their blue economy and hazard protection. Leveraging low-cost and scalable marine technology, Backyard Buoys offers a system for community-managed ocean buoys and web apps that simplify data access to complement Indigenous Knowledge.

Collaborative Efforts of Backyard Buoys: Uniting U.S. IOOS Associations, Indigenous Partners, Ocean Wave Buoy Developers, and Educational Entities

Pacific Northwest:

Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing Systems (NANOOS), Quileute Tribe, Quinault Indian Nation, Western Washington University

Alaska:

Alaska Ocean Observing System (AOOS), Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission, Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corporation (UIC) Science, Alaska Dept of Natural Resources, Alaska Native Science & Engineering Program

Pacific Islands:

Pacific Islands Ocean Observing System (PacIOOS), Marshall Islands Conservation Society, National Park of American Samoa, Hawai'i Sea Grant, Conservation International Hawai'i

Industry Partners:

Sofar Ocean, South Seas Consulting, Weston Solutions

NANOOS Director, Jan Newton.

Credit: University of Washington.

Pua Tuaua (National Park American Samoa) showcases a Spotter Buoy during a meeting in Utqiagvik, Alaska.

PacIOOS Director, Melissa Iwamoto.

James Hobucket Shale, captain of the FV Seeker, readies prior to the Quinault Indian Nation buoy deployment.

Credit: Dennis Wise, UW.

AOOS Director, Sheyna Wisdom.

Ladies of AEWC with Spotter Buoys at the Indigenous Knowledge Workshop in Utqiagvik, AK 2022.

Credit: Sheyna Wisdom, AOOS.

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The first Spotter Buoy being deployed in the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

A Sofar Spotter Buoy.

Quinault Indian Nation and UW participants deploy a Spotter Buoy in the Pacific Northwest.

The first Spotter Buoy deployed near Cape Lisburne, AK in July 2023.

Michael Quuniq Donovan and team deploying Spotter Buoy off Utqiagvik, AK in August 2023.

Spotter Buoy near bowhead whale skull in Utqiagvik, AK in 2022.

Supporting Indigenous Communities on the Front Lines of Climate Change

Collaborative Efforts of Backyard Buoys: Uniting U.S. IOOS Associations, Indigenous Partners, Ocean Wave Buoy Developers, and Educational Entities

Pacific Northwest:

Alaska:

Pacific Islands:

Industry Partners:

NANOOS Director, Jan Newton.

Pua Tuaua (National Park American Samoa) showcases a Spotter Buoy during a meeting in Utqiagvik, Alaska.

PacIOOS Director, Melissa Iwamoto.

James Hobucket Shale, captain of the FV Seeker, readies prior to the Quinault Indian Nation buoy deployment.

AOOS Director, Sheyna Wisdom.

Ladies of AEWC with Spotter Buoys at the Indigenous Knowledge Workshop in Utqiagvik, AK 2022.

Joe Schumacker, Quinault Indian Nation, on cruise to set their first buoy.

Backyard Buoys: A Geographical Overview of Our Buoy Locations.

Latest News

Backyard Buoys Spotlight in Oceanography Magazine

Backyard Buoys Engages Students Across Alaska

All Hands on Deck: Backyard Buoys...

Our Partners