Water buoys help biosphere team assess water quality in new project

TWO new marine buoys are being deployed off the North Devon coast this year to monitor water quality and to help improve understanding of the local marine environment.

- by ABIGAIL NEEP

Organised by North Devon Biosphere Enterprises LTD, the first buoy is set to be placed off Croyde Bay in early July, with the second expected to follow in winter at Westward Ho!

They will be part of an ambitious environmental project that will track and share real time data from the water system and sea.

The buoys are large, floating scientific monitoring stations and are fitted with sensors that will collect data on water quality. They will be yellow and visible from the shore. A similar buoy is already in place off Westward Ho! for monitoring currents, and organisers hope the new additions will be equally as unintrusive.

The project is part of the North Devon Biosphere’s ‘Smart Biosphere’ initiative, which brings together scientists, local authorities and community groups to better understand and protect the environment.