Tracking Drifter Buoys Tracking Drifter Buoys Ocean waters constantly move to make currents.
Ocean currents can move warm water to cool places and cold water to warm places.
Because of this, the currents are an important factor in climate and global weather. Today, oceanaographers use devices called drifter buoys to track ocean currents. Drifters buoys float with the currents and use satellite communications to report their positions to oceanographers. Learn how oceanographers measure ocean currents by tracking some drifter buoys over time. The how and why of drifter buoys describes drifter buoys.