Near-Shore Monitoring:
For shallow water measurements, InterOcean's Near-Shore Monitoring Station incorporates a surface buoy containing power supply and data transmitting electronics, along with selected atmospheric sensors as required, and an S4ADW oceanographic instrument mounted within a bottom-mounted structure that rests on the seabed. At this depth, the S4ADW is capable of providing data for current speed/direction, directional waves, water level (tide), CTD, visibility/turbidity, and many other physical and biological parameters. Please consult with an InterOcean sales engineer regarding buoy and sensor specifications, as well as recommendations for mooring configuration(s) and data telemetry.

Offshore Monitoring:
InterOcean's 2.3-meter diameter discus buoy is designed specifically for Offshore Monitoring applications, typically deployed in water depth greater than 200 meters. This buoy has the same electronic system and sensor suite as the Coastal Station, but the integral mooring system becomes an increasingly critical part of the system design, in accordance with site specific conditions. This larger diameter discus buoy may also be specified for shallower waters in instances where expected environmental conditions at the deployment site are severe. Please consult with an InterOcean sales engineer regarding buoy and sensor specifications, as well as recommendations for mooring configuration and data telemetry.

Base Station:
As part of each integrated monitoring system, InterOcean offers a Base Station and any number of Mobile Laptop Units. The Base Station consists of a Windows-based laptop or desktop PC, configured with InterOcean Telemetry Software. Users may easily 'point and click' to monitor, process, store and display data, as well as control the data telemetry link (including acquisition of data from multiple Buoy Stations), monitor system diagnostics, and program sensor settings. Graphic display of the real-time data at the Base Station allows immediate user response. Also, processed data may be output to additional display locations, used for (SCADA) actuation functions &/or activation of alarms, and web-ready publishing of data via the Internet. It is also configured to provide remote access for technical (factory) support.

Coastal Monitoring:
InterOcean's Coastal Monitoring Stations (often used for deployments in water depths 30m to 200m) utilizes a bottom moored 1.2-meter diameter discus type buoy. The type of mooring is contingent on environmental conditions at the mooring site, as well as the type of sensors installed on the station. For applications that require wave measurements at these depths, typically an accelerometer based wave-sensing package is used within the buoy and a compliant section is added to the subsurface mooring. The Coastal Station can be configured to accept any combination of atmospheric and oceanographic sensors. A typical sensor suite for this station consists of barometric pressure, wind speed and direction, air temperature, relative humidity, and sea surface temperature. Again many additional sensors can be added. The surface buoy contains sealed rechargeable batteries, charge regulators and solar panels to provide system power, and also contains the transmitting electronics and lightning arrestor. Standard navigation aids are included in this monitoring station. Please consult with an InterOcean sales engineer regarding buoy and sensor specifications, as well as recommendations for mooring configuration and data telemetry.

Data Telemetry:
Demand for real-time monitoring has become increasingly important for coastal and offshore applications, from both surface and bottom-mounted sensors. InterOcean offers numerous telemetry options for each of its monitoring system designs. A telemetry system will be integrated that is best suited to the users specific deployment and data requirements. Key variables include: real-time vs. periodic data updates; volume of data being transmitted; bi-directional communication vs. receive only; plus consideration of geographic location, transmission distance, ambient environment, service availability and cost, etc. Telemetry options include; Wire or Fiber Optic, Cellular (GSM or others), Satellite (Iridium, Argos, Orbcomm, etc) and/or Radio (UHF, VHF, Spread Spectrum).

As an example, a cost-effective telemetry solution InterOcean uses in many of its coastal and near-shore systems is spread spectrum radios. These are reliable, low powered, require no licensing fee, and provide 2-way communication capability. A second mode of data telemetry, often recommended for use with our offshore buoy systems, is Iridium Satellite. Iridium provides relatively low-cost satellite data transmission, combined with the benefits of global coverage and 2-way communication. Again, please consult with an InterOcean sales engineer regarding buoy and sensor specifications, as well as recommendations for mooring configuration and data telemetry.