Oceanographic Buoys for Marine Monitoring: A Review of Instrumentation, Applications, and Emerging Technologies

Abstract

Oceanographic buoys are essential platforms for marine observation, supporting real-time monitoring, climate studies, operational oceanography, coastal management, and offshore activities. This review maps the scientific literature on oceanographic buoys and identifies the main research sectors that structure the field. A Scopus search using TITLE-ABS-KEY((oceanographic OR metocean OR “ocean observing” OR “ocean observation”) AND (buoy OR buoys)) retrieved 1876 documents published between 1938 and 2026. The records were processed using a network-based sector detection and visualization workflow. Five thematic sectors were identified: platform engineering, sensors, moorings, and autonomous systems; marine wind, waves, metocean, and offshore energy applications; physical oceanography, sea-surface temperature (SST), currents, and environmental variability; coastal and ocean observing networks and operational services; and drifting buoys, floats, and global ocean datasets. The results show that buoy research has evolved from isolated measurement systems to integrated observing infrastructures that combine in situ sensing, satellite validation, autonomous operation, telemetry, and decision-support services. By linking bibliometric structure and thematic interpretation, this review provides a sector-based map showing where scientific observation, engineering design, operational services, and autonomous technologies converge.

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