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Datasets / Australian Ocean Data Network (AODN)

Wave buoys Observations - Australia - near real-time

Sea StateSeabirds abundance and distributionHard coral cover and composition

Buoys provide integral wave parameters. Buoy data from the following organisations contribute to the National Wave Archive: Manly Hydraulics Laboratory (part of the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW), which has assumed function of the former NSW Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH)); Bureau of Meteorology; Western Australia Department of Transport (DOT); the Queensland Department of Environment and Science (DES); the Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS); Gippsland Ports; the NSW Nearshore Wave Data Program from the NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW); the University of Western Australia (UWA); Deakin University, Pilbara Ports Authority and Flinders University and South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI).

The data from MHL, BOM, DOT, DES, Gippsland Ports and Pilbara Ports Authority, is gathered by the Waverider system developed by the Dutch company, Datawell. Some older wave data were collected using non-directional Waverider buoys. As technology advanced and directional measuring capabilities were developed in wave buoys, wave buoy networks were gradually upgraded to directional Waverider buoys. Therefore, some older datasets do not have directional information whereas newer datasets have directional information.

The data from IMOS, the NSW Nearshore Wave Data Program, DCCEEW, UWA, Deakin, Flinders University and SARDI comes from Spotter Wave Buoys, developed by Sofar Ocean Technologies, which collect data similarly to the Waverider system.

BOM, DES, DOT, MHL, IMOS (some) and Gippsland Ports - The wave buoy data is issued in GTS bulletins (which are only available for 24 hours) : IOWK01 (in BUFR format) and SWWE01 (CREX format). The data is collated by the Bureau into a CSV file (containing the last 24 hours of observations) which is updated every hour, at 5 minutes past the hour. This data is provided via WFS to the AODN. Note - The Maria Island buoy is currently undergoing repairs, so data is unavailable, we will update when resolved (May 2024).

IMOS (some), DCCEEW, UWA, Deakin, Flinders University + SARDI - The data is updated every hour, at 40 minutes past the hour.

Pilbara Ports Authority - The data is uploaded every hour, at 30 minutes past the hour.

Data and resources

Additional information

Date (creation)2017-06-16
StatusonGoing
Update frequencycontinual
Metadata languageen
LicenseThe location of the buoy in the WMO message is recorded in degrees, minutes (not seconds), hence the location is only accurate to 1-2 kilometres.
Source metadataISO 19115 XML
Last updated2026-11-05
Created2026-11-05
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