New Wave buoy deployed off Raglan (NZ) Coast

Ocean modelling often means long days behind a screen, refining simulations and crunching data collected by others. But when an opportunity arises to get out in the field and deploy real sensors, we jump at it!

A few years ago, Aqualink provided a Spotter wave buoy with integrated temperature sensors to be deployed at Jackson Reef, just offshore from Raglan (New Zealand). This buoy is part of Aqualink’s global initiative to monitor water temperatures and reef health. For us, it was a win-win: real-time data on waves and temperature meant:

• Improved water safety (e.g. bar crossings),
• Better validation for our wave models,
• And yes… an early surf report, with a geeky breakdown of every Southern Ocean swell rolling into NZ — the first landfall on their journey across the Pacific.

The deployment was a collaborative effort, with mooring hardware sourced from Defence Science and Technology, the anchor weight provided by fellow Raglan oceanographer Brett Beamsley, and the vessel and crew generously provided by the Raglan Coastguards — facilitated by Dave Johnson, Oceanum colleague and active Raglan Coastguard himself. We launched well after dark, after the Coastguard vessel towed a ship back to port, seizing a rare calm West Coast weather window. 

📡 The live wave data from Raglan is now available on SeaScope Aotearoa – our open-access ocean observation portal, where you can check both observations and predictions on the same graph. 

SeaScope Aotearoa is led by Calypso Science with support from OCEANUM.IO’s Datamesh integrates a wide range of open-source and institutional datasets measured by wave buoys, tide gauges, wind stations, ocean drifters, webcams, and more, into a single platform. Observational data includes contributions from projects such as the MOANA Project, the ARGO network, and various regional council monitoring programmes.

🔍 We’re continuously looking to improve and expand the platform:

 → If you have ocean datasets from around Aotearoa that you would like to share and display, we'd love to connect.
 → Want a SeaScope-style platform for your region or project? We’re happy to collaborate.
 → Ideas or feedback on the app and dataviz? We’re listening.