In this webinar, Sofar and key NOPP NHCI partners detail how they air-deployed wave buoys ahead of major hurricanes to make real-time observations of extreme conditions. This ground truth ocean data helps coastal communities and government agencies, such as the National Hurricane Center (NHC), better understand, predict, and prepare for major storms. During the session, the panelists discuss:

• The successful air-deployment of 70+ Sofar Spotter buoys, APL-UW microSWIFTs, and other sensors in the path of major hurricanes from 2022 to 2024.
• Compelling in situ data collected by the airdropped buoys near the eye walls of multiple hurricanes, including ~70 foot waves observed during Hurricane Helene in 2024.
• The deployment of experimental Submersible Spotters, as well as cross-shore transects of moored wave and water level sensors, to collect additional data near the coast.

Featured Speakers:

• Evan Shapiro: Co-founder and CTO (Sofar Ocean)
• Eric Stackpole: Bristlemouth Developer (Sofar Ocean), Co-star (OceanXplorers, National Geographic)
• Jim Thomson: Senior Principal Oceanographer (Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington)
• Jenna Brown: Research Oceanographer (USGS) 

A Q&A follows the webinar.