The drifting buoys, which belong to Météo France or its partners in some cases, are placed in the water at locations selected by Météo France and the captains of our vessels with all the requisite safety measures.

The buoys are packed with technology and have been designed to collect data on sea surface temperatures, atmospheric pressure and their locations, as well as to withstand any and all climates. The data are collected on an hourly basis and relayed in just a few minutes by satellite communication to Météo France, where they are processed, released and made available worldwide.

The paths taken by the buoys are used firstly to track ocean surface currents, which in turn influence the routes taken by ships, their speed, their fuel consumption and, of course, their CO₂emissions.

The water temperature and atmospheric pressure readings are used by weather forecasting centers around the world to fine-tune their predictions.

Improve our ships’ routings and safety at sea

Lastly, the buoys deployed can very accurately measure the atmospheric pressure at the surface of the ocean, which helps to improve the weather forecasting system. They gather data from the most inaccessible locations.

Compiling this data over the long term can help the Group to:

• Improve the routes taken by its shipsEnhance safety at sea;
• Improve the monitoring of flotsam and jetsam;
• Reduce shipping’s environmental footprint;
• Measure accurately the effects of climate change.

It’s a win-win partnership with a bright future!