Penobscot Bay Marine Data
The Pen Bay Marine Data project establishes and operates sensor networks in Penobscot Bay, Maine. Data produced through this project will be shared on the NERACOOS Mariners dashboard, and are also available by request. Please contact nkeeney@hurricaneisland.net with questions about buoy deployments and data access.
Information used for siting decisions are displayed on an interactive map below. This includes point and polygon locations referenced in site selection analysis. You can view a full-screen version of the map here. Zoom in to see more detailed features and data, sourced from NOAA, Maine Departments of Environmental Protection (DEP) and Marine Resources (DMR), and the Maine Office of GIS.
Buoys
Our data collection platform is a modified YSI DB600 series buoy. This modular system allows us to deploy and recover buoys from smaller vessels, and configure each site with sensors specifically selected for the needs of the local community. The buoys are internet-connected through a cell phone network, and report hourly. They are named after three wee fishermen of Eugene Field’s classic poem. You can find more information about each site through the Hydrosphere data platform, while we are still in the process of making data available through NERACOOS.
Wynken
The oceanic site is in lower Penobscot Bay, at Hurricane Island. It is located near our experimental aquaculture lease to provide farm-based research projects with continuous, high-quality environmental data. It is a USCG-permitted private aid to navigation (PATON), and appears on charts as Hurricane Island Research Buoy A. This site has been online in April 2025. You can find real-time and historical data here.
Blynken
Our middle bay site is on the western side of Islesboro, “in the river”, at Seal Harbor. Site selection was done in collaboration with community members and marine-dependent businesses. This site has more freshwater influence, and experiences reversing flows depending on river discharge and weather patterns. The Seal Harbor site has been online since May 2025. Go here for real-time and historical data.
Nod
Although we have three buoys, we only deploy two observing systems at a time. This ensures that data at each location is continuous and of high-quality. While the third system is out of the water we calibrate, clean, prepare it to swap in for the others, which happens about every two weeks. This also lets us experiment with embedded computing and onboard data processing, and incrementally improve the system over time, without downtime. It also means we can bring a buoy to your school or event for demonstrations and training. Reach out if you are interested in arranging a visit.
Weather Stations
We also maintain a network of weather stations and LoRaWAN radio gateways in Rockland Harbor and on Hurricane Island. We measure wind, temperature, humidity, and air pressure, among other observed properties. You can find real-time weather data here. If you are interested in having your own sensors piggy-back on our long-range radio backhaul network, get in touch. One objective of the project is to lower the barrier to entry for new data providers, and help standardize data collection methods and quality control across small-scale network operators.