The National Academy of Marine Research (hereinafter referred to as NAMR) has been promoting the policy of "Salute to the Seas" by the Executive Yuan, providing safety information for navigation and recreational maritime activity. In cooperation with the Coastal Ocean Monitoring Center of the National Cheng Kung University and GeOceanTech Co., Ltd., NAMR has jointly deployed meteorological data buoys in Taiwan’s national waters to monitor real-time oceanographic and meteorological data such as wave height, ocean currents, wind speed, air temperature, and barometric pressure since 2020. Currently, NAMR has deployed a total of 6 large data buoys and 4 small data buoys scattered across Taiwan's northern and northeastern seas, Kenting, and other waters around the Penghu outer islands.
Typhoon Doksuri passed through the Taiwan Strait yesterday (28th), bringing strong winds to the southwestern land areas and stirring up massive waves in the Taiwan Strait. The typhoon was only about 50 kilometers away from NAMR's Dongjiyu buoy when it passed the Penghu waters. The buoy happened to be situated right in the strongest wind area of the typhoon, detecting a force 10 storm. At 4 a.m. on the 28th, the Dongjiyu buoy detected a significant wave height of 14.3 meters with the maximum instantaneous wave height exceeding 20 meters, which was over the height of a seven-story building. This is referred to as "exceptionally high waves" in the Beaufort scale, which marked the largest wave height ever recorded in the Penghu Coastal Area since oceanographic observations began. The wind speed measured at the time exceeded 150 kilometers per hour after conversion, representing a level 10 "storm" which is indeed rare. The fact that the NAMR buoy could still function normally under these extreme sea conditions demonstrates that Taiwan’s oceanic observation technology has reached international standards, making it a powerful tool for typhoon research.
Dr. Chen Jiahn-horng, President of NAMR, pointed out that NAMR has been implementing the policy of "Salute to the Seas" by the Executive Yuan, exhibiting achievements in various fields such as marine science research, maritime industry promotion, and marine life surveys, with extraordinary results in the field of meteorological monitoring.
In addition to the Dongjiyu buoy in Penghu, other buoy and radar stations were operating normally during this typhoon period. Monitoring extreme sea conditions can assist regulatory authorities in planning accurate management strategies and construction disaster prevention measures. The observed data also integrates numerical models to establish a maritime recreational risk information platform, providing safety messages for marine areas to help the public safely interact with the ocean and enjoy the happiness that the ocean brings.