A buoy has been dropped! The first of 10 MicroSWIFT Buoys has been dropped in the waters surrounding North and South America. MicroSWIFT 167 was dropped in the Gulf of Alaska on June 23rd, during our seventh day crossing from Elfin Cove to Dutch Harbor, Alaska. Even more exciting? Classrooms tuned in live from around the world!
Our SWIFT buoy program was made possible through our partnership with the University of Washington’s Applied Physics Laboratory. SWIFT stands for Surface Wave Instrument Float with Tracking. The buoys collect critical oceanic data such as temperature, wave height, salinity, and ambient noise- for up to three weeks. Data is publicly available and can be tracked in real time on the University of Washington’s Applied Physics Laboratory SWIFT Buoy Dashboard.
Track the data here:
https://oneislandoneocean.com/projects/swift-buoy-data-tracking
This event was featured in a live classroom hosted by Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants—an education organization that reaches out to over a million students globally. Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants is the most amazing platform- inspiring scientists, explorers and conservationists all around the world. Just a week before our segment, they hosted none other than Dr. Jane Goodall—a surreal moment for the entire One Ocean crew. I mean… how cool!?! We’re honored for the opportunity to inspire the next generation of ocean stewards alongside such environmental icons.
Jacob Davis, a dedicated researcher at the Applied Physics Lab, joined us to share his SWIFT Buoy expertise. He shared the evolution of these instruments- from early prototypes made from Nalgene bottles to today’s slick ocean data tools. Part of Jacob's PhD was deploying SWIFT buoys into hurricanes! These compact devices can be deployed by plane, surf board, and- like ours- a sailboat.
The SWIFT buoy program is generously sponsored by Sailors for the Sea, an ocean conservation organization committed to protecting and restoring our oceans health. This project is also tied to their incredible KELP (Kids Environmental Learning Program) curriculum. Designed to educate the next generation of ocean stewards, KELP empowers students to learn about the marine world and discover how to keep it healthy. We were honored to be joined by Shelly Brown, Director at Sailors for the Sea, and Steffani Ruff, their Communications Manager, during this initiative.
Although this marked our final live classroom of the school year with Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants, the journey continues! We’ll be sharing more live events and updates—like the deployment of our second SWIFT buoy in the Chukchi Sea—on our YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/@oneisland.oneocean?si=komSfmkJLI-s6yW-
Early data from the buoys is already in, and we’re having a blast analyzing it. The charts are showing whimsical “loop-de-loops” that resemble the letters “OO”—a perfect symbol for One Ocean! You can follow the data too and join us in tracking oceanic data in real time. https://oneislandoneocean.com/projects/swift-buoy-data-tracking
Stay tuned and keep exploring— the ocean is always moving, and so are we.
Tess