365 days at sea: Spotter Buoys return from deployment
Metocean observations in the Timor Sea
Two Spotter Buoys supporting Revelare Hydrospatial's Timor Sea operations have been successfully recovered after 12 months of continuous offshore deployment.
Operating in support of HydroScheme Industry Partnership Program (HIPP) surveys in Australia's northern waters, the buoys transmitted hourly wave, wind, sea surface temperature and barometric pressure observations throughout the deployment.
Manufactured by Sofar Ocean, the Spotter Buoys form part of Revelare Hydrospatial's metocean monitoring capability and support long-term environmental observations in remote offshore environments.
Throughout the deployment, the Spotter Buoys remained on station, with no geofence breaches recorded.
One buoy remained operational for the full 12-month deployment, while the second continued transmitting until May 2026, with transmission ceasing only after fouling on the solar panels affected battery charging.
Data collected during the deployment plays an important role in supporting water level observations. Pressure sensors deployed on tide gauges record total pressure, including both water pressure and atmospheric pressure, while the Spotter Buoys provide the barometric pressure observations required to correct those measurements and accurately determine water levels.
Supporting the completed SI 1057 survey and ongoing SI 1070 Timor Sea survey campaign, the recovered buoys form part of a broader monitoring program associated with HIPP. Together with long-term tide gauge deployments, they provide continuous environmental observations throughout a multi-year survey program extending across Australia's northern waters.
The deployment demonstrates the value of long-term metocean observations in remote offshore environments, with the Spotter Buoys delivering reliable environmental data over a continuous 12-month period.
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