Evaluation of Sofar Oceans Smart Mooring Water Level Measurement Performance at NOAA Water Level Station

The United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Ocean Service (NOS) Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) is responsible for the maintenance and continued development of the National Water Level Observation Network (NWLON). CO-OPS is dedicated to continually improving its observatory network to meet evolving needs and to incorporate advancing technology. One significant challenge facing CO-OPS is the provision of water level measurements in areas where traditional land-based stations are impractical. To address this challenge and fulfill the demand for real-time offshore water level data in regions lacking coastal infrastructure, we explore commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) solutions. Among these options, the Sofar Spotter Buoy and Smart Mooring System presents itself as a viable choice worth considering. CO-OPS deployed a Spotter/Smart Mooring system, at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay, near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel NWLON station. Here we present our evaluation of the performance of the Sofar as a water level measurement system, including setup, deployment, and recovery. We also include a preliminary look at its wave measurement capabilities.