New Global Telemetry Option for Drifting Buoys

Pacific Gyre has begun offering Iridium telemetry as an option on their suite of drifting buoys. Drifting buoys are available in a variety of physical configurations designed to track water parcels at various depths and water conditions. Iridium has been added to the list of available telemetry options including Argos, Globalstar, and Mobitex. Iridium offers complete global coverage and will allow users to deploy buoys/drifters in areas not covered by other telemetry options. In addition, Iridium permits two –way communication. This will allow the users of drifting buoys additional functionality such as remotely turning on/off a unit. As with existing telemetry options, Pacific Gyre will offer Iridium customers to retrieve their collected data through a website that allows remote access, querying, and mapping of individual and arrays of buoy/drifter data. Pacific Gyre designs and manufactures oceanographic research equipment for remote, environmental data collection. The company specializes in drifting buoys that are designed to follow water currents in a Lagrangian sense. Customers include research institutions, governmental agencies and municipalities who wish to collect physical data about the open-ocean, coastal waters, and estuaries. Pacific Gyre manufactures a suite of standard products, and also works with customers to innovate new designs.