A fleet of unmanned surface vehicles(USVs) will begin navigating the oceans to collect data that will improve the accuracy of weather and climate forecasts. This initiative was endorsed by UNESCO, representing a joint collaboration between scientists, governments and industry to improve marine scientific observation globally.
Ocean robots to improve weather forecasts
Likewise, the global network, known as SUN Fleet, is positioned as the seventeenth network of the Global Ocean Observing System(GOOS). This development was led by oceanographer Dr. Ruth Patterson, who has coordinated an international collaboration between more than forty universities and organizations.
From Australia, this project is being promoted with a clear objective: to unite science and technology to obtain precise, coordinated data located at strategic points in the ocean. The data collected by the USVs will have an impact on sectors such as agriculture, fishing, maritime transport and food safety.
The main advantage of these ocean robots lies in their ability to operate with renewable energy and to travel long distances in extreme environmental conditions, overcoming logistical and cost constraints.
In addition, the network will overcome the lack of data over vast ocean areas, a challenge that hitherto complicated the improvement of climate models and weather forecasting. The rapid and coordinated incorporation of these data into operational models will improve the accuracy of global forecasts.
The next step for the SUN Fleet includes developing standards for data management, governance structure and securing funding to ensure continuity of the project. Currently, the project office is established at the U.S. Center for Ocean Leadership.
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Source and photo: Charles Darwin University Australia
