Moored buoys are the weather sentinels of the sea.
They are deployed in the coastal and offshore waters from the western Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean around Hawaii, and from the Bering Sea to the South Pacific. Even the direction of wave propagation is measured on many moored buoys. The choice of hull type used usually depends on its intended deployment location and measurement requirements. To assure optimum performance, a specific mooring design is produced based on hull type, location, and water depth. For example, a smaller buoy in shallow coastal waters may be moored using an all-chain mooring.