Northern Australia Automated Marine Weather and Oceanographic Stations

Automatic weather stations have been deployed by AIMS since 1980. Most of the stations are along the Great Barrier Reef including the Torres Strait in North-Eastern Australia but there is also a station in Darwin and one in Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia. Many of the stations are located on the reef itself either on poles located in the reef lagoon or on tourist pontoons or other structures. The following is a list of the weather stations which have been deployed by AIMS and the period of time for which data may be available. Records may not be continuous for the time spans given. 

Currently Active Stations:

Queensland:
Agincourt Reef: Start 1/11/1989
Cape Bowling Green: Start 9/7/1983
Cleveland Bay: Start 3/7/1990
Davies Reef: Start 18/10/1991
Square Rocks: Start 19/12/2009
Hardy Reef: Start 14/6/1989
Lizard Island: Start 13/08/2010
Heron Island: Start 02/08/2008
Myrmidon Reef: Start 2/11/1987
Wreck of the Yongala: Start 30/10/2010

Northern Territory:
Darwin: Start 14/02/2015

Western Australia:
Ningaloo Reef (Milyering): Start 12/2/1997

Torres Strait:
Thursday Island: Start 06/02/12
Bramble Cay (Maizab Kaur): Start 15/7/2015
Masig (Yorke) Island: Start 6/2/2012

Historical Data:
Badu Island: Start 08/05/2018: End 03/06/2021
Beagle Gulf Mooring: Start 24/5/2015: End 16/7/2017
Cape Cleveland: Start 2/6/1993: End 30/9/1996
Cape Ferguson: Start 1/11/1983: End 30/5/1985
Coconut Island: Start 30/9/1988: End 5/11/1991 (Data not yet located)
Coral Creek (Hinchinbrook Island): Start 16/10/1980: End 30/7/1985
Daintree River: Start 12/2/97: End 31/5/98
Halftide Rock: Start 26/7/2000: End 19/12/2009
John Brewer Reef: Start 31/7/1987: End 30/5/1988
One Tree Island: Start 18/11/2008: End 11/06/2021
Orpheus Island: Start 20/12/2002: End 02/09/2010
Raine Island: Start 08/08/2012: End - Station currently maintained by Qld National Parks
Rib Reef: Start 29/2/1980: End 3/12/1985
Saibai Island: Start 01/05/2016: End 05/03/2021

Weather stations may be equipped with sensors to measure some or all of the following parameters: sea temperature at a range of depths, atmospheric pressure, air temperature, relative humidity, solar radiation (light as PAR), wind direction and wind speed.

These data are collected to support scientific research at AIMS. A number of funding bodies have contributed to the infrastructure and data collection, or continue to contribute to and support the program. In addition to the Northern Australia Automated Marine Weather and Oceanographic Stations Program, these include: 

-Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS)
-Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS). IMOS is a national collaborative research infrastructure, supported by the Australian Government.
-Queensland State Government Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS) - an initiative of the Australian Government being conducted as part of the National Research Infrastructure Strategy
-Wireless Sensor Networks Facility (formerly known as Facility for The Automated Intelligent Monitoring of Marine Systems (FAIMMS)), part of the Great Barrier Reef Ocean Observing System project (GBROOS) (IMOS)
-The Tropical Water Quality Hub of the National Environmental Science Programme (NESP) and preceeding body Tropical Ecosystems Hub of the National Environmental Research Program (NERP), funded by the Australian Government.

Download via the AODN Portal is currently unavailable, access through programming links below or the AIMS Time Series Explorer - https://apps.aims.gov.au/ts-explorer/

Tags: Wireless Sensor Networks Facility, Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS)
Organization: Australian Ocean Data Network