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Article: Bad luck buoy is back NOAA's 'Smart' buoy returns to the Patapsco after second mishap
- Article from:
- Maryland Gazette
- Article date:
- September 16, 2009
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 2009 Maryland Gazette. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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Call it the Bad luck buoy.
The solar-powered "smart" buoy at the mouth of the Patapsco River
was deployed two summers ago with much fanfare. Officials with the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration lauded it as one of
the most advanced of its kind.
The talking buoy, which cost about $120,000 to build, collects
meteorological and water quality data as well as information on
waves and currents.
But since its launch in 2007, the buoy's been in the repair shop
almost as much as it's been on the water.
Gun shots pierced the buoy last August, causing about $7,000 in
damages to the solar panels and putting it out of commission for
about three months. The buoy was back on the water in ...