Map of the Week – Drifting buoy temperature tracks (Monthly)
Have you been following the Transat Jacques Vabre race? Did you know that six drifters will be deployed from six different IMOCA yachts during the race? The aim is to deploy them in six different locations along the race route where there are currently no instruments. On 10 November 2023, Boris Herrmann and Will Harris, on board Malizia - Seaexplorer, deployed a drifter buoy off the coast of Portugal at 37 degrees North. The device will live for around 700 days and autonomously sends data on atmospheric pressure, sea temperature and ocean currents to scientists on land. This data is crucial for the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and for climate scientists. Boris and Will also previously deployed two drifters in The Ocean Race taking their total to three deployed devices in 2023. [1]
Wish you could see information from drifting buoys in the European Atlas of the Seas? You can! Explore the Map of the Week to see drifting buoy temperature tracks! Ocean temperature is an important parameter in weather and climate predictions. Several oceanographic instruments are therefore used to automatically collect temperature measurements, including drifting buoys that freely move around the ocean depending on the water currents and host sensors. The observations are relayed by satellite and used immediately to improve forecasts and increase marine safety. They are made available through open marine data initiatives like EMODnet. This global data collection effort is coordinated by the Data Buoy Cooperation Panel (DBCP ).
Wish to know more?
- Watch Boris Herrmann and Will Harris deploy the drifter buoy into the Ocean;
- Discover Team Malizia’s educational material and activities ;
- Learn more about ocean observation with EuroGOOS’ Ocean Literacy Resources .
Team Malizia and EuroGOOS are members of the EU4Ocean Platform for Ocean Literacy. Find out how you can join them!
The data in this map are provided by EMODnet.