Just in time for the hundreds of anglers about to hit coastal waters for the Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo, a new smartphone app can provide up-to-date information about conditions on (and in) Mobile Bay and nearby waters.

For years, the Dauphin Island Sea Lab has operated a sensor network called the Alabama Real-time Coastal Observing System, or ARCOS. Data from ARCOS sensors includes water temperature, salinity and oxygen content as well as wind speed and air temperature.

The information has been available online, but the lab has now announced the launch of a free smartphone app for iOS and Android devices. It says it sees the app as “an excellent tool for anyone who works or plays on the water to make informed and safe boating decisions.”

Like the website, the app incorporates a three-day National Weather Center forecast and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s tide predictions for Dauphin Island. It also features data from a new station at the Gulf State Park Pier and wave measurements from a Sofar Spotter buoy positioned just off the coast of Dauphin Island.

“ARCOS is an excellent example of how DISL takes data collected for scientific research purposes and then repackages it for consumers’ use,” said John Valentine, executive director of the Dauphin Island Sea Lab. “In this instance, we want to help the local community make informed and safe decisions for boating. In the last year, our coastal community has faced several water-related tragedies and DISL felt sharing our scientific data in a user-friendly format could help save lives if boaters have a real-time picture of water conditions before they go out.”

If it helps them make informed decisions about where to fish, so much the better.

The annual Alabama Deep Sea Fishing Rodeo runs Friday-Sunday after preliminary festivities Thursday evening. For full information, visit adsfr.com.

The new Dauphin Island Sea Lab ARCOS app can be found at Google Play and Apple’s App Store.