Transforming Moored Data Buoys Into an Ocean Current Estimator

Abstract: Ocean current measurements are essential for various scientific, economic and environmental applications. The conventional Doppler-based single point current meters (SPCMs), which are used for the measurement of surface ocean current speed and direction in the moored data buoy systems, face challenges as their output is susceptible to biofouling. SPCM requires noticeable power for the operation, and it is expensive. A recently reported innovative approach, which involves integrating a load cell in the mooring line of a data buoy, is a viable option for ocean current measurement with advantages such as resistance to biofouling, lower power requirements, and lower cost. However, the reported method is useful only during extreme weather conditions when the mooring line is sufficiently stretched. To address this limitation, the present study proposes a model that combines mooring load measurements with additional environmental parameters such as wind, wave conditions, and buoy positional data. The new approach was developed and tested for two data buoys deployed in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal over a nearly a year duration. This study compares multiple models, ultimately identifying random forest (RF) as the top-performing model with a correlation value of 0.92 and a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.072 m/s between the observed and estimated current. The study shows that the proposed method can reliably estimate a wide range of ocean current speeds with very good accuracy. This approach highlights the potential of transforming conventional moored data buoys into robust, cost-effective ocean current estimators without relying on conventional current meters, and the detailed methodology and findings will be presented in the seminar.

Event Details
Title: Transforming Moored Data Buoys Into an Ocean Current Estimator
Date: March 12, 2026 at 4:00 PM
Venue: ESB 244 / Google Meet (https://meet.google.com/fgo-jyys-hqa)
Speaker: Mr. Biswajit Haldar (EE21D205)
Guide: Dr. Boby George
Type: PHD seminar