A couple of weeks ago, I went to Fagatele Bay with a team of ocean management agencies.

I love being able to take my office outside and have field days for work (and I love seeing my fiancé, Captain Moffitt).

A new “Class III” scientific buoy was recently deployed within the national marine sanctuary, making it highest level of coral reef monitoring provided by NOAA in the southern hemisphere. The scientific buoy collects water quality information and measures a variety of parameters in the ocean, such as pH and temperature, which are both very important contributors to the health of our vibrant coral reef ecosystem.

It’s super cool, and the data is live online on the PacIOOS website here.

The scientists aboard the NPS vessel MV Moana were practicing water sampling techniques for the monitoring project, and I volunteered to get photos for a NOAA Research media write up. I jumped in the water and snapped a few photos with a Canon SL1 and Ikelite housing.

I’m stoked that they used one of my photos for the article!

You can find the article about the new scientific buoy here: https://research.noaa.gov/article/ArtMID/587/ArticleID/2457/New-NOAA-partner-buoy-in-American-Samoa-opens-window-into-a-changing-ocean