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Drifting and moored buoy data observed since 1985 and assembled by the Global Data Assembly Center for Drifting Buoy Data, Canada

Published by NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce | Catalog Last Checked: August 03, 2026 at 08:04 AM | Dataset Last Updated: March 01, 2026 at 12:00 AM
As a Data Buoy Cooperation Panel (DBCP) Global Data Assembly Center (GDAC), and previously the Responsible National Oceanographic Data Center (RNODC), for Drifting Buoy Data, Marine Environmental Data Section (MEDS) submits a set of drifting buoy data to the U.S. NCEI each year. Buoy data is available in real time to platform operators via telecommunications providers and distributed on the Global Telecommunications System (GTS) of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in real-time. MEDS decodes data transmitted on the GTS in buoy code form. This may include moored buoy data as well. The DBCP is an international program coordinating the use of autonomous data buoys to observe atmospheric and oceanographic conditions, over ocean areas where few other measurements are taken. MEDS is a part of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), Ecosystem and Oceans Science, Oceans Science Branch (OSB). MEDS was previously known as Integrated Science Data Management (ISDM), Oceanography and Scientific Data (OSD).

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0000149 0000435 0000724 0001004 0001402 0002041 0002624 0014935

Complete Metadata
@type dcat:Dataset
accessLevel non-public
contactPoint 
{
  "fn": "NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information",
  "@type": "vcard:Contact",
  "hasEmail": "mailto:ncei.info@noaa.gov"
}
describedByType application/octet-steam
description As a Data Buoy Cooperation Panel (DBCP) Global Data Assembly Center (GDAC), and previously the Responsible National Oceanographic Data Center (RNODC), for Drifting Buoy Data, Marine Environmental Data Section (MEDS) submits a set of drifting buoy data to the U.S. NCEI each year. Buoy data is available in real time to platform operators via telecommunications providers and distributed on the Global Telecommunications System (GTS) of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in real-time. MEDS decodes data transmitted on the GTS in buoy code form. This may include moored buoy data as well. The DBCP is an international program coordinating the use of autonomous data buoys to observe atmospheric and oceanographic conditions, over ocean areas where few other measurements are taken. MEDS is a part of Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), Ecosystem and Oceans Science, Oceans Science Branch (OSB). MEDS was previously known as Integrated Science Data Management (ISDM), Oceanography and Scientific Data (OSD).
distribution 
[
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "NCEI Dataset Landing Page",
    "accessURL": "https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/GDAC-Drifting-Buoy-MEDS",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "Navigate directly to the URL for a descriptive web page with download links.",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Granule Search",
    "accessURL": "https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/metadata/granule/geoportal/?from=0&size=10&esdsl=%7B%22query%22%3A%7B%22bool%22%3A%7B%22must%22%3A%5B%7B%22query_string%22%3A%7B%22analyze_wildcard%22%3Atrue%2C%22query%22%3A%22fileid%3AGDAC-Drifting-Buoy-MEDS.*%22%7D%7D%5D%7D%7D%7D#searchPanel",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "Search for data granules belonging to this collection (a granule is the smallest aggregation of data that can be independently described and retrieved).",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/science/data-donnees/drib-bder/index-eng.html",
    "accessURL": "https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/science/data-donnees/drib-bder/index-eng.html",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "DFO Drifting buoy webpage",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "https://doi.org/10.17882/57247",
    "accessURL": "https://doi.org/10.17882/57247",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "Program website",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "GCMD Keyword Forum Page",
    "accessURL": "https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD%2BKeywords",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). 2025. GCMD Keywords, Version 21. Greenbelt, MD: Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). URL (GCMD Keyword Forum Page): https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD+Keywords",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "NCEI Contact Information",
    "accessURL": "https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/contact",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "Information for contacts at NCEI.",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  }
]
identifier https://data.noaa.gov/waf/NOAA/NESDIS/ncei/accessions/iso/xml/GDAC-Drifting-Buoy-MEDS.xml
issued 1986-01-01T00:00:00.000+00:00
keyword 
[
  "0000149",
  "0000435",
  "0000724",
  "0001004",
  "0001402",
  "0002041",
  "0002624",
  "0014935",
  "0038809",
  "0052246",
  "0062529",
  "0070785",
  "0085922",
  "0104254",
  "0117484",
  "0126576",
  "0138537",
  "0156004",
  "8600071",
  "9100057",
  "9100101",
  "9100102",
  "9300091",
  "9800066",
  "9900084",
  "AIR TEMPERATURE",
  "AIR TEMPERATURE - DRY BULB",
  "BAROMETRIC PRESSURE",
  "CURRENT DIRECTION",
  "CURRENT METER - SPEED",
  "CURRENT SPEED",
  "DEPTH - OBSERVATION",
  "DEPTH - SENSOR",
  "dew point",
  "HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE",
  "ICE - MOVEMENT - DIRECTION",
  "ICE - MOVEMENT - SPEED",
  "POSITION - GEOGRAPHIC",
  "RELATIVE HUMIDITY",
  "SALINITY",
  "SALINITY - SURFACE WATER",
  "SEA STATE",
  "SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE",
  "SWELL HEIGHT",
  "SWELL PERIOD",
  "water depth",
  "WATER TEMPERATURE",
  "WAVE HEIGHT",
  "WAVE PERIOD",
  "WIND DIRECTION",
  "WIND SPEED",
  "buoy - drifting buoy",
  "buoy - moored buoy",
  "meteorological sensor",
  "current measurements",
  "current measurements - surface currents",
  "drifting buoy",
  "in situ",
  "laboratory analyses",
  "meteorological",
  "moored buoy",
  "physical",
  "profile",
  "surface measurements",
  "time series",
  "DRIFTING BUOYS OF CANADA",
  "DRIFTING BUOYS OF NEW ZEALAND",
  "DRIFTING BUOYS OF SOUTH AFRICA",
  "Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Institute of Ocean Sciences",
  "Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Marine Environmental Data Section",
  "Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Institute of Ocean Sciences",
  "Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Marine Environmental Data Section",
  "FIRST GLOBAL GARP (Global Atmospheric Research Program) EXPERIMENT (FGGE)",
  "GULF OF MEXICO NOAA/NDBO COOP. DRIFTING BUOY",
  "International Arctic Buoy Programme (IABP)",
  "Prediction and Research Moored Array in the Tropical Atlantic (PIRATA)",
  "Tropical Atmosphere Ocean/TRIANGLE TRANS-OCEAN BUOY NETWORK (TAO/TRITON)",
  "Adriatic Sea",
  "Aegean Sea",
  "Alboran Sea",
  "Andaman Sea or Burma Sea",
  "Arabian Sea",
  "Arafura Sea",
  "Arctic Ocean",
  "Baffin Bay",
  "Balearic (Iberian) Sea",
  "Bali Sea",
  "Baltic Sea",
  "Banda Sea",
  "Barents Sea",
  "Bass Strait",
  "Bay of Bengal",
  "Bay of Biscay (Golfe de Gascogne)",
  "Bay of Fundy",
  "Beaufort Sea",
  "Bering Sea",
  "Bismarck Sea",
  "Black Sea",
  "Bristol Channel",
  "Caribbean Sea",
  "Caspian Sea",
  "Celebes Sea (Sulawesi Sea and Mindanao Sea)",
  "Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary",
  "Chukchi Sea",
  "Coastal Waters of Alabama",
  "Coastal Waters of Florida",
  "Coastal Waters of Louisiana",
  "Coastal Waters of Mississippi",
  "Coastal Waters of Southeast Alaska and British Columbia",
  "Coastal Waters of Texas",
  "Columbia River estuary - Washington/Oregon",
  "Coral Sea",
  "Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary",
  "Davis Strait",
  "East China Sea (Tung Hai)",
  "East Siberian Sea",
  "English Channel (La Manche)",
  "Flores Sea",
  "Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary",
  "Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary",
  "Great Australian Bight",
  "Great Lakes",
  "Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary",
  "Greenland Sea (including Iceland Sea and North Greenland Sea)",
  "Gulf of Aden",
  "Gulf of Alaska",
  "Gulf of Bothnia (Bay of Bothnia and Bothnian Sea)",
  "Gulf of California",
  "Gulf of Finland",
  "Gulf of Guinea",
  "Gulf of Mexico",
  "Gulf of Oman",
  "Gulf of Riga, Sound Sea",
  "Gulf of St. Lawrence",
  "Gulf of Suez",
  "Gulf of Thailand",
  "Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary",
  "Halmahera Sea",
  "Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary",
  "Hudson Bay",
  "Hudson Strait",
  "Indian Ocean",
  "Inner Seas off the West Coast of Scotland",
  "Ionian Sea",
  "Irish Sea and St. George's Channel",
  "Japan Sea",
  "Jawa (Java) Sea",
  "Kaneohe Bay",
  "Kara Sea",
  "Kattegat, The Sound, Storebælt, Lillebælt",
  "Labrador Sea",
  "Laccadive Sea",
  "Laptev (or Nordenskjöld) Sea",
  "Ligurian Sea",
  "Lincoln Sea",
  "Malacca Straits",
  "Mediterranean Sea",
  "Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin",
  "Mediterranean Sea - Western Basin",
  "Molucca Sea",
  "Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary",
  "Mozambique Channel",
  "National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa",
  "New York Bight",
  "North Atlantic Ocean",
  "North Greenland Sea",
  "North Pacific Ocean",
  "North Sea",
  "Northwestern Passages",
  "Norwegian Sea",
  "Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary",
  "Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument",
  "Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument",
  "Persian Gulf (Gulf of Iran), Strait of Hormuz",
  "Philippine Sea",
  "Red Sea",
  "Rio de la Plata",
  "Rose Atoll Marine National Monument",
  "Ross Sea",
  "San Diego Bay",
  "Sawu Sea",
  "Sea of Azov",
  "Sea of Marmara",
  "Sea of Okhotsk",
  "Selat Makasar (Makasar Strait)",
  "Seto Naikai (Inland Sea)",
  "Singapore Strait",
  "Skagerrak",
  "Solomon Sea",
  "South Atlantic Ocean",
  "South China Sea (Nan Hai)",
  "South Pacific Ocean",
  "Southern Ocean",
  "St. Lawrence River",
  "Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary",
  "Strait of Gibraltar",
  "Sulu Sea",
  "Tasman Sea",
  "Timor Sea",
  "Tyrrhenian Sea",
  "World-Wide Distribution",
  "Yaquina Bay",
  "Yellow Sea (Hwang Hai)",
  "oceanography",
  "CA/DFO > Fisheries and Oceans, Canada",
  "CA/DFO/PR/SB/IOS > Institute of Ocean Sciences, Science Branch, Pacific Region, Fisheries and Oceans, Canada",
  "DOC/NOAA/NESDIS/NODC > National Oceanographic Data Center, NESDIS, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce",
  "GARP/FGGE > Global Atmospheric Research Program/First Garp Global Experiment (GARP/FGGE)",
  "IABP > International Arctic Buoy Programme",
  "PIRATA > Pilot Research Moored Array in the Tropical Atlantic",
  "TAO/TRITON > Tropical Atmosphere Ocean/TRITON",
  "Data Buoy Cooperation Panel (DBCP)",
  "Marine Climate Data System (MCDS) - Global Data Assembly Center for Buoys",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > ATMOSPHERE > ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > ATMOSPHERE > ATMOSPHERIC TEMPERATURE",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > ATMOSPHERE > ATMOSPHERIC TEMPERATURE > SURFACE TEMPERATURE > AIR TEMPERATURE",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > ATMOSPHERE > ATMOSPHERIC TEMPERATURE > SURFACE TEMPERATURE > DEW POINT TEMPERATURE",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > ATMOSPHERE > ATMOSPHERIC WATER VAPOR > WATER VAPOR INDICATORS > HUMIDITY > RELATIVE HUMIDITY",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > ATMOSPHERE > ATMOSPHERIC WINDS > SURFACE WINDS > WIND DIRECTION",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > ATMOSPHERE > ATMOSPHERIC WINDS > SURFACE WINDS > WIND SPEED",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > CLIMATE INDICATORS > ATMOSPHERIC/OCEAN INDICATORS > SURFACE SALINITY",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > BATHYMETRY/SEAFLOOR TOPOGRAPHY > WATER DEPTH",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN CIRCULATION > OCEAN CURRENTS",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN PRESSURE > WATER PRESSURE",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN TEMPERATURE > SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN TEMPERATURE > WATER TEMPERATURE",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN WAVES > SEA STATE",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN WAVES > SWELLS",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN WAVES > WAVE HEIGHT",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN WAVES > WAVE PERIOD",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > SALINITY/DENSITY > SALINITY",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > SEA ICE > SEA ICE MOTION",
  "DRIFTING BUOYS > DRIFTING BUOYS",
  "BUOYS",
  "FIXED OBSERVATION STATIONS > FIXED OBSERVATION STATIONS",
  "DRIFTING BUOY (ICES code: 18DZ)",
  "DRIFTING BUOY (ICES code: 61DB)",
  "DRIFTING BUOY (ICES code: 91DB)",
  "CONTINENT > ASIA > WESTERN ASIA > BLACK SEA",
  "CONTINENT > ASIA > WESTERN ASIA > CASPIAN SEA",
  "CONTINENT > EUROPE > EASTERN EUROPE > BLACK SEA",
  "CONTINENT > NORTH AMERICA > CANADA > GREAT LAKES, CANADA",
  "CONTINENT > NORTH AMERICA > UNITED STATES OF AMERICA > GREAT LAKES",
  "GEOGRAPHIC REGION > GLOBAL OCEAN",
  "OCEAN > ARCTIC OCEAN",
  "OCEAN > ARCTIC OCEAN > BARENTS SEA",
  "OCEAN > ARCTIC OCEAN > BEAUFORT SEA",
  "OCEAN > ARCTIC OCEAN > CHUKCHI SEA",
  "OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN",
  "OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN > BALTIC SEA",
  "OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN > BAY OF FUNDY",
  "OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN > CARIBBEAN SEA",
  "OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN > DAVIS STRAIT",
  "OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN > GULF OF AMERICA",
  "OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN > GULF OF MEXICO",
  "OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN > GULF OF ST LAWRENCE",
  "OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN > IRISH SEA",
  "OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN > MEDITERRANEAN SEA",
  "OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN > MEDITERRANEAN SEA > ADRIATIC SEA",
  "OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH SEA",
  "OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORWEGIAN SEA",
  "OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > SOUTH ATLANTIC OCEAN",
  "OCEAN > INDIAN OCEAN",
  "OCEAN > INDIAN OCEAN > ARABIAN SEA",
  "OCEAN > INDIAN OCEAN > ARABIAN SEA > PERSIAN GULF",
  "OCEAN > INDIAN OCEAN > BAY OF BENGAL",
  "OCEAN > INDIAN OCEAN > RED SEA",
  "OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN > CENTRAL PACIFIC OCEAN > AMERICAN SAMOA",
  "OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN > CENTRAL PACIFIC OCEAN > HAWAIIAN ISLANDS",
  "OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN > NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN",
  "OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN > NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN > BERING SEA",
  "OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN > NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN > GULF OF ALASKA",
  "OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN > NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN > SEA OF JAPAN",
  "OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN > NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN > SEA OF OKHOTSK",
  "OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN > SOUTH PACIFIC OCEAN",
  "OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN > WESTERN PACIFIC OCEAN > EAST CHINA SEA",
  "OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN > WESTERN PACIFIC OCEAN > SOUTH CHINA AND EASTERN ARCHIPELAGIC SEAS",
  "OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN > WESTERN PACIFIC OCEAN > SOUTH CHINA SEA",
  "OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN > WESTERN PACIFIC OCEAN > YELLOW SEA",
  "OCEAN > SOUTHERN OCEAN",
  "OCEAN > SOUTHERN OCEAN > ROSS SEA",
  "ERRBH6"
]
landingPage https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/contact
language 
[]
license https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
modified 2026-03-01T00:00:00.000+00:00
publisher 
{
  "name": "NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information",
  "@type": "org:Organization"
}
references 
[
  "https://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/science/data-donnees/drib-bder/index-eng.html",
  "https://doi.org/10.17882/57247"
]
rights otherRestrictions
spatial 180.0,-80.1,-180.0,90.0
temporal 1978-11-22T00:00:00+00:00/2015-12-31T00:00:00+00:00
theme 
[
  "geospatial"
]
title Drifting and moored buoy data observed since 1985 and assembled by the Global Data Assembly Center for Drifting Buoy Data, Canada

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