The Coastal Data Information Program (CDIP) at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego has been focused on providing research-grade coastal wave measurements for decades.
The first long-term CDIP station in the Gulf — CDIP 144 St. Petersburg Off-shore, Florida — was installed back in July 2007 at about 80 nautical miles west of Tampa Bay. Bob Weisberg and Rick Cole of the University of South Florida were key early partners, and station operations now are typically carried out by Mote Marine Laboratory.
Since, then CDIP stations have expanded across the Gulf and we’re 
excited to report on the latest new moored wave buoy station providing CDIP data from the Gulf Coast: CDIP 279 Chandeleur Islands, Louisiana. This mooring was installed to meet CPRA System Wide Assessment and Monitoring Program (SWAMP) data priorities and optimized for USACE WIS validation.
“CDIP is excited to be expanding our in this region, to help our nation meet its coastal engineering challenges,” said Dr. James Behrens, Program Manager and Principal Engineer for CDIP at Scripps.
With primary funding from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the CDIP’s real time data are disseminated through the National Weather Service, NOAA’s National Data Buoy Center, WMO’s GTS, NOAA PORTS® and IOOS RA data portals — including GCOOS. CDIP’s website cdip.ucsd.edu also serves up station wave, temperature, and current data freely to the public, with specialized data product displays, and access to decades of archives.
CDIP 279 joins the Gulf network, which includes:
- 2007: CDIP 144 St. Petersburg Offshore, Florida
- 2015: CDIP 214 Egmont Channel Entrance was added and continues to be operated in collaboration with Mark Luther at USF, with support from Tampa Bay PORTS.
- 2016: CDIP 226 Pulley Ridge, Florida, deployed off West Florida, primarily for validation of the USACE Wave Information Study (WIS) wave climate model.
- 2019: CDIP’s collaboration with Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA) began with deployments near Grand Isle, as part of SWAMP, which recommended documenting wave dynamics to improve understanding of the processes that impact water circulation, mixing and marsh edge erosion in the estuarine and nearshore environments, and to characterize offshore boundary conditions.
- 2019: CDIP 244 Satan Shoal, Florida, has been operated for the USACE to study the complex wave activity in the Keys.
- 2021: CDIP 256 Southwest Pass Entrance W established in a location selected to avoid regional trawling activity.
- 2021: CDIP 255 Trinity Shoal in western Louisiana began reporting data and is operated for USACE priorities. The Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium (LUMCON) supports station operations in the region.
- 2021: CDIP 252 Aransas Pass Entrance, Texas, near Corpus Christi, was first deployed and is operated by the Conrad Blucher Institute for Surveying and Science at Texas A&M University Corpus Christi, with funding from the Port of Corpus Christi. In 2024, data coverage began in earnest following a relocation away from local marine traffic.
CDIP 279 deployment off Louisiana.
Deployment of the Gulf’s first CDIP station, 144, about 80 nautical miles west of Tampa Bay in 2007.
Servicing 144 in 2009.
Servicing 144 in 2014.
