Written by Susan Dickinson, Kit Hastings, and Brian Haas
The GLC–operated Dunkirk Buoy was recently named the Buoy of September! Since 2011, the Great Lakes Center has operated and maintained this buoy off the shores of Dunkirk, New York, in Lake Erie as part of the Great Lakes Observing System (GLOS).
The buoy’s sensors measure meteorological and wave conditions, water temperature in 2-meter intervals to 25m, and dissolved oxygen and conductivity at 25m. The information collected can be used for climate modeling, lake current, and energy budget modeling as well as for the study of nutrient dynamics and fisheries. It is also helpful for commercial and recreational navigation by providing real-time information regarding wind and wave conditions. Buoy data can be viewed on Seagull by searching for BSC1.
GLC Field Station staff members remove the seasonal buoy from the lake in early fall for any needed maintenance and to protect it from harsh Buffalo winters and redeploy in the spring. Both deployment and retrieval of the buoy are weather dependent. The Dunkirk Buoy was retrieved for the season in early October when Brian Haas hired Ben Szczygiel (former Biology graduate student) and Emily Klimczak (current GLES graduate student) to help him safely retrieve it.
The GLC is thrilled to be recognized for its efforts in managing this valuable resource.
Image caption: Brian Haas, Emily Klimczak, and Ben Szczygiel retrieving the Dunkirk Buoy in early October.
