Argobuoys

Argobuoys are autonomous buoy-based platforms used for ocean observation and coastal monitoring. They combine sensing, telemetry, and, in some configurations, navigational or communication functions to support weather forecasting, maritime safety, and environmental research. The term encompasses a range of moored, drifting, and profiling devices designed for long-term operation at sea with minimal maintenance.

Construction and capabilities typically include a durable hull, energy system, and a suite of sensors. Common components are solar panels and batteries for power, GPS or GNSS for positioning, and satellite or cellular communication links for data transmission. Instrument payloads may measure sea surface temperature, salinity, chlorophyll fluorescence, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, wave height, and current velocity, with some models adding profiling sensors to sample subsurface conditions. Robust anti-corrosion materials, ballast, and antifouling treatments extend operational life in harsh marine environments.

Deployment and operation vary by use case. Argobuoys can be moored at fixed locations to provide continuous time series, deployed as drifting platforms to sample broad surface currents, or designed as profiling units that periodically descend and ascend to collect vertical profiles. Maintenance involves battery replacement or recharging, sensor calibration, and communication checks. Data are typically streamed in near real time to national or international oceans networks and incorporated into weather models, climate studies, fisheries management, pollution tracking, and maritime safety exercises.

Variants and applications include surface Argobuoys for real-time traffic and hazard monitoring, subsurface or semi-submerged units for near-bottom measurements, and profiling Argobuoys that mimic autonomous ocean observation arrays. Data products are shared through open-data portals and contribute to integrated ocean observing systems.

See also: Argo project, ocean buoy, marine data portal.