Checking the weather on Mobile Bay just got easier—and smarter. The Dauphin Island Sea Lab has launched new updates to its Alabama Real-Time Coastal Observing System (ARCOS), including a free app that puts live coastal data right in your pocket!
Available now on iOS and Android, the ARCOS app is designed for anyone who works, plays, or fishes on coastal Alabama waters.
Boaters, anglers, and beachgoers can pull up real-time conditions before leaving the dock, helping them make safer decisions before hitting the bay.
With one tap, you can check current wind speeds, water temperature, air temperature, and tides from your phone. It’s fast, easy, and always updating.
Built for Boaters, Anglers, and Coastal Explorers
This isn’t just about knowing if you’ll need a jacket. The ARCOS app delivers the kind of data that can make or break a day on the water.
Planning to fish? The app provides updates on salinity, oxygen levels, and tides to help pinpoint the right spot to cast your line.
Keeping an eye on changing weather? Check the 3-day National Weather Center forecast right in the app.
Curious about the water near the Gulf? The new Sofar Spotter buoy off Dauphin Island gives you live measurements of wave height, wave direction, and surface temperature.
It’s like having a weather station, tide chart, and marine forecast all rolled into one.
A New Buoy With Big Benefits
One of the newest features comes from the Sofar Spotter buoy, a floating device that sends back real-time data about the water just off Dauphin Island. The buoy tracks waves, temperature, and water pressure, offering a detailed look at sea-state conditions at the mouth of Mobile Bay.
This information isn’t only for boaters. It also helps improve rip current predictions, supports marine safety, and adds to the research being done to understand how the Gulf behaves in different seasons.
The Gulf of America Coastal Ocean Observing System (GCOOS) helped make the buoy deployment possible, expanding the data network for everyone’s benefit.
From Research to Real-World Use
The Dauphin Island Sea Lab collects scientific data every day. But now that information isn’t locked away in research papers or behind complicated charts—it’s right there for the public to use.
“ARCOS is a great example of how we take data collected for research and share it in a way that helps people make real-world decisions,” said John Valentine, Executive Director of the Dauphin Island Sea Lab.
Safety was one of the biggest motivations behind this update. In recent years, the coastal community has seen too many water-related tragedies. By making real-time conditions available to anyone with a smartphone, the Sea Lab hopes to give boaters a better picture of what they’re heading into—before they leave the dock.
Ready to Download
The ARCOS app is free to download on both iOS and Android devices. It puts Mobile Bay’s weather, tides, and wave conditions in the palm of your hand, whether you’re out for a fishing trip, checking the water before a paddle, or just curious about what’s happening offshore.
The Dauphin Island Sea Lab continues to operate and maintain weather stations throughout Alabama’s coast, supporting science, safety, and environmental awareness along the Gulf.
With the ARCOS app, that information is now as close as your home screen.
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