International Programmes
Argo is a global array of 3,000 free-drifting profiling floats that measures the temperature and salinity of the upper 2000 m of the ocean. This allows, for the first time, continuous monitoring of the temperature, salinity, and velocity of the upper ocean, with all data being relayed and made publicly available within hours after collection.
The Data Buoy Cooperation Panel (DBCP) is an official joint body of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) which was formally established in 1985. It consists of the data buoy component of the Joint WMO-IOC Technical Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology (JCOMM).
Principal objectives of the DBCP are (i) review and analyse requirements for buoy data, (ii) co-ordinate and facilitate deployment programmes to meet requirements, (iii) initiate and support action groups, (iv) improve quantity and quality of buoy data distributed onto the Global Telecommunication System (GTS), (v) information exchange and technology development, and (vi) liaison with relevant international and national bodies and programmes.
OceanSITES is a worldwide system of long-term, deepwater reference stations measuring dozens of variables and monitoring the full depth of the ocean from air-sea interactions down to 5,000 meters. OceanSITES moorings are an integral part of the Global Ocean Observing System. They complement satellite imagery and ARGO float data by adding the dimensions of time and depth.
