Buoy workshops cover the technology of oceanographic, weather and other buoy systems. They have been held randomly in six to eight year intervals since the sixties, organized by Henri Berteaux and Robert Walden of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

Based on a suggestion and support by Dr. Tom Swean of the Office of Naval Research, ONR/MTS Buoy Workshops have been organized and supported every two years since 1996 to foster communication and exchange between designers, assemblers, operators, and users of buoy systems. The Marine Technology Society and its Buoy Committee provide additional support for these workshops. The 1996 and 1998 buoy workshops were held immediately following the MTS Undersea Cable & Connector Workshops, and received great support from Mr. Al Berian, the long term organizer of these annual meetings. Since 2000 the programs include visits to facilities where active buoy work is performed. Initially 80, more recently up to 100 persons attended, including a number of foreign participants and speakers. Up to 30 presentations were made at each workshop, leading to lively and open exchanges between the participants in this highly specialized technology. Recently oceanographic buoy systems have become more visible with the mayor Ocean Observatories Initiative, funded by the National Science Foundation. Among the goals of this initiative are coastal, regional, and worldwide continuous observations with two-way transmission of data and remote instrument control with the help of cabled and portable (buoy based) observation systems, see http://www.orionprogram.org/OOI/default.html.

The next buoy workshop will be held from March 4 to 6 2008 at the Hollywood Casino in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. Information about the past ONR/MTS Buoy Workshops since 1996 is found in the links below.