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Coming Soon to San Diego Bay: HyperKelp’s New Smart Buoys

Coming Soon to San Diego Bay: HyperKelp’s New Smart Buoys

a yellow buoy bobs in the water

Soon, HyperKelp's new smart buoy platforms (Kelp Smart Buoys) will be floating in our bay, hard at work. For a brief overview of these smart buoys and how they’re helping keep our bay clean and healthy, read on.


Who is HyperKelp?

HyperKelp Inc. is a provider of smart buoy platforms (like our smart buoys!). They are the tenth company to join our Blue Economy Incubator.

HyperKelp Smart Buoy Platforms

 

What are the Kelp Smart Buoys and what makes them so smart? 


Buoys are commonly known to be navigational devices that float on top of water. The Kelp Smart Buoys are sensor platforms from HyperKelp Inc. developed to collect and aggregate data in near real-time and display results on an online dashboard.

Here are a few examples of the sensors on the new buoys and what they measure:

  • Chlorophyll A sensors (algae blooms) 
  • Conductivity sensors (salinity across the harbor) 
  • Co2 sensors (directly measures emissions)

They can also monitor underwater noise levels, atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations, and various water quality parameters! The data that is gathered from these buoys will help inform and support the development of several Port initiatives including the Maritime Clean Air Strategy (MCAS), the Vessel Speed Reduction Program, and shellfish and seaweed aquaculture planning efforts, environmental protection, conservation, restoration, enhancement, and nature-based solutions projects.

 

Haven’t seen the new buoys yet? Here’s how you can identify them!

The new buoys have a few distinct qualities about them. Here are a few key points to help identify them as they work: 

  • Color: Bright yellow, visible from near and far.
  • Distinct Size & Shape: Large, with four flat sides and a flat top.
  • Winking Light: At the top of the smart buoy, there is a small light that helps distinguish its presence.
Hyperkelp Smart Buoy


HyperKelp Inc. and the Port of San Diego

As a catalyst for the region’s Blue Economy, the Port of San Diego established its Blue Economy Incubator in 2016 as a launching pad for sustainable aquaculture and Port-related blue technology ventures. In 2023, through the Blue Economy Incubator, the Port partnered with HyperKelp Inc. to demonstrate a sensor agnostic “smart” buoy platform. To learn more about the partnership and the Blue Economy Incubator, visit our Blue Economy Incubator page!