Our wave buoy network provides continuous measurements of wave conditions along the California coast, including wave height, period, direction, and water temperature. Each buoy serves the needs of its local community and partners, while contributing to a broader understanding of California's changing coastal ocean.
Klamath River
The Klamath wave buoy was deployed in collaboration with the Yurok Tribe Marine Department as part of the Backyard Buoys™ initiative. This buoy measures wave conditions and surface water temperature offshore of the Klamath River mouth. Backyard Buoys enables Indigenous and coastal communities to gather and use wave data to support hazard preparedness, navigation, and local decision-making, while complementing Indigenous Knowledge with accessible marine technology.
Timber Cove and Fort Ross
Wave buoys at Timber Cove (seasonal) and Fort Ross support kelp forest monitoring and restoration efforts in partnership with the Greater Farallones Association. In addition to real-time wave observations, these moorings host non-real-time instruments that measure temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and light at multiple depths. Together with ecological surveys conducted by project partners, these data help identify the environmental conditions that promote resilient kelp forests and inform restoration strategies along the Sonoma Coast.
Tomales and Inverness
The Tomales and Inverness buoys continue and expand more than a decade of ocean observations in this region. These stations collect real-time wave and temperature data, while additional instruments on the mooring lines record temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, and other environmental variables. Located in an area heavily used by commercial and recreational mariners, paddlers, and coastal visitors, these observations provide valuable information for both scientific research and the local community.
Data note: Real-time wind speed and direction values from these sites are derived from wave measurements and should be interpreted as estimates rather than direct meteorological observations.