Where are the first floaters launched by NRP Sagres?

Here we disclose some results obtained from drift floats launched from the NRP Sagres earlier this year in the framework of Sagres-IH-NOAA collaboration.

In the video, one can observe the paths of the superimposed floaters in speed and temperature fields of the ocean surface resulting from the global model available at Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service.

Everything seems to indicate that the float 1301589 initially moved east under the influence of the Azores Stream and caught ‘boleia’, to the south, in the Canary Stream being then diverted by one of the many whirlpools that dominate the oceanic dynamics.

The other two floaters were launched in a less dynamic zone and their displacement is still relatively small despite this, the 1301592 float seems to be initially moving southwest, also with the Canary Stream.

These drift floats are part of the Global Drifter Program and are contributing to the maintenance of a regular network of observations in the global ocean.

Information derived from these floats is extremely relevant not only to understand ocean dynamics but also for other applications and services. For example, how these floats follow the ocean surface layer currents are ideal for studying the transport of free particles such as fish larvae or polluting agents, such as oil spills and microplastics.

Also follow these floats in real time from the link https://www.aoml. noaa.gov/phod/gdp/real-time_data.php
The buoy identifier codes are as follows:

WM0 ID:

D1: 6202656

D2: 1301589

D3: 1301592

D4: 1301590

D5: 6202657

D6: 6202654

D7: 1301595

D8: 1301593