Ft. Jefferson Site Notes

The site is located at Ft Jefferson (JEFF) on the island of Garden Key within the Dry Tortugas National Park (24° 37.596' N, 82° 52.393' W), 70 miles northwest of the City of Key West, Monroe County. Offshore sea surface current speed and direction radial data is provided hourly via a dedicated satellite modem to a central processing station located at the University of South Florida/College of Marine Science in St. Petersburg, FL, where the data is processed, and web served. Site equipment funding provided was via a National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, Medicine (NASEM) Gulf Research Program (GRP) competitively awarded grant with site installation and operation and maintenance through a collaborative effort between the University of South Florida's/College of Marine Science's COMPS program and the National Park Service. Local project support provided by the FIO Keys Marine Laboratory, and CODAR Ocean Sensors. This site became operational on 03/05/2024 with data flow to CORDC commencing on 03/07/2024.

On November 14, 2024, the electrical line that serves the COMPS HFR station and campground area was severed due to conduit movement during unusually high/king tides. The Park service has decided to re-position the whole length of conduit higher up onto land from the water along with the diesel line that was once buried next to it. This will be contracted work with no current completion date yet established, however, once completed, Ft Jefferson HFR site operation is expected to resume. Please check back periodically.