Missing Ocean-Monitoring Buoy Recovered in Barbuda as Met Office Warns Against Tampering

One of three ocean-monitoring buoys recently deployed around Antigua and Barbuda has been recovered after going missing over the weekend.

The Antigua and Barbuda Meteorological Service said the buoy was located in Barbuda and retrieved virtually intact.

The equipment was among three Sofar Ocean monitoring buoys deployed last week to collect real-time information on marine conditions, including waves, ocean temperature, currents and wind.

The data gathered by the devices are expected to improve understanding of conditions at sea while strengthening the accuracy and reliability of weather and marine forecasts.

Officials are now appealing to mariners, fishers and other members of the public to recognise the buoys as important national assets and avoid moving, damaging or tampering with them.

“These buoys are there to serve you and to help keep you safe,” the Meteorological Service said.

The agency stressed that the devices are specifically designed to operate in the marine environment and should be left undisturbed if encountered.

Information collected by the buoys can support safer marine operations, enhance early-warning systems and strengthen the country’s ability to respond to extreme weather and climate-related risks.

The Meteorological Service also advised vessels to avoid passing too close to the equipment, noting that interference could affect the reliability of the data and place lives at risk.

Anyone who encounters a buoy or observes suspicious or unusual activity involving the equipment is being asked to contact the Antigua and Barbuda Meteorological Service.

Officials are encouraging the public to help protect the buoys so they can continue providing critical information for more accurate forecasts, improved warnings and greater safety at sea.