A major international initiative aims to close gaps in oceanic and atmospheric data by increasing the number of commercial vessels equipped with monitoring equipment.
10 000 Ships for the Ocean seeks to expand the current network of around 2 000 ships collecting weather and surface ocean data to 10 000 vessels globally.
Spearheaded by key international agencies, including the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), the Unesco Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, and the International Maritime Organization, the project is expected to significantly improve real-time forecasting, early-warning systems, and long-term climate models.
Despite covering more than 70% of the Earth’s surface, large swathes of the ocean remain data-scarce.
ECMWF director general, Florence Rabier, said maritime data remained dramatically underutilised.
“We currently use 15 times less data from ships over the sea than from meteorological stations over land to predict weather worldwide. The more data points we get, the more accurate our forecast will be.”
Major shipping lines have already begun committing vessels to the project.
Norwegian roll-on roll-off operator Höegh Autoliners was among the first to pledge its fleet, noting in a statement that improved ocean data would benefit both global science and the efficiency and safety of maritime operations.
The 10 000 Ships for the Ocean programme runs parallel to the ongoing evolution of the Argo initiative – a cornerstone of the Global Ocean Observing System.
Since its launch in the early 2000s, the Argo programme has deployed more than 4 000 autonomous floats, providing high-resolution data on temperature and salinity down to 2 000 metres.
However, scientists have argued that the system needs to evolve to match the pace of ocean change. As part of its next phase, Argo will add 1 200 new deep-sea floats capable of monitoring ocean conditions down to 6 000 metres. It will also expand the scope of measured variables to include additional physical and biogeochemical indicators.
