New high-tech buoy coming to Buzzards Bay

A high-tech buoy designed to enhance maritime safety is being installed in Buzzards Bay, state environmental officials said.

The buoy that measures wave height, wave period, wave direction and surface water temperature every 30 minutes will be placed about four nautical miles southwest of Cuttyhunk Island, according to a statement this week from the state Department of Environmental Protection.

The buoy is a joint project involving the state, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the Northeastern Regional Association of Coastal Ocean Observing Systems.

“The waters of Buzzards Bay and Cape Cod Bay are precious natural resources in Massachusetts and we must continue to make strong efforts to protect them for both the public and marine species to benefit from,” state Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Kathleen Theoharides said. “Adding this new buoy in Buzzards Bay will expand Cape Cod’s marine safety network and help ensure safe passage for mariners traveling through these important waters.”

The state is providing about $900,000 to purchase, install and operate the buoy.

The money is coming from the Oil Spill Prevention and Response Trust Fund, established after a barge spilled 98,000 gallons of oil into the bay in 2003.