Meteorological and oceanographic data buoys Thanks to internationally coordinated efforts, the Data Buoy Cooperation Panel working under the auspices of the World Meteorological Organization and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission maintains arrays of instrumented drifting and moored buoys in the world oceans. These automated buoys make routine measurements and transmit their data in real-time through satellites. Such measurements include wind speed and direction, air temperature, air humidity, atmospheric pressure, currents, sea surface temperature, but also water temperatures at various depths to 500 meters below the surface for certain types of moored buoys.
All buoys routinely transmit their positions along with the data.
Meteorological models routinely assimilate observational data from various sources including satellites, weather balloons, land stations, ships, and data buoys. Most of the models are global and assimilate observational data from all sources around the planet to make their national forecasts. Distribution of meteorological data world-wide is coordinated through the World Weather Watch. Buoy data are crucial because deployed in data sparse ocean area where no other source of valuable data are available. Marine forecast .