Projects : Backyard Buoys
Overview
The Backyard Buoys™ project is a partnership of Indigenous nations, coastal communities, scientists, and industry innovators that puts low-cost, community-run wave-monitoring buoys and an easy-to-use web platform into local hands. Funded through the NSF Convergence Accelerator and coordinated with U.S. IOOS regional associations (AOOS, NANOOS, PacIOOS), the project lets stewards deploy, quality-control, archive, and openly share their data—bridging Indigenous knowledge with scientific measurements and connecting to broader networks for hazard warnings, research, and blue-economy planning.
While much of today’s ocean observing focuses on the physical environment, Backyard Buoys centers the people who depend on it. By fusing grassroots stewardship with cutting-edge sensor and cloud technology, the initiative grows a community of practice that strengthens maritime safety, food security, and cultural resilience—making vital wave information accessible, relevant, and self-determined across the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, the Pacific Islands, and beyond.
For more information, please visit https://backyardbuoys.org or contact info@backyardbuoys.org.
This introductory video provides a brief overview of the Backyard Buoys project.
Publication Date: May 7, 2025
Last Updated: May 7, 2025
Version: 1.00
Update History:
Map
Use the map and table below to explore the Backyard Buoys locations. See the Access tab above for data access.
Loading map…
| ID | Location | Region | IOOS Regional Association | Status |
|---|
Access
Backyards Buoy data can be accessed using the following methods:
| ERDDAP Access data in a wide variety of output formats including plain text, HTML, JSON, MATLAB, NetCDF, and OPeNDAP. |
|
| Backyard Buoys Mobile App Access the latest real-time data in a dynamic map viewer using a mobile app for both iOS and Android devices. |
|
| PacIOOS Voyager View, combine, and download this and other datasets using our interactive Google Maps data portal. |
Partners
We have a geographically, academically, institutionally, and culturally diverse groups of partners collaborating on the Backyard Buoys project. This includes three U.S. IOOS Regional Associations, Indigenous partners in each region, a proven ocean float developer, and educational partners.
Pacific Northwest
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
|
Alaska
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
Pacific Islands
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
Buoy Devices
 |
|
Project Management
 |
 |
|
|
