The funds will be used to add 150 Argo floats to the project's portfolio in the next two years.
Argo floats measure and transmit data on ocean temperature and salinity. As such, they are the main tools for providing long-term high quality information on the ocean. They are named after the Greek mythical ship Argo.
The 150 new Argo floats will deliver critical data from depths of 2000 metres to shallow waters that will help scientists to understand the ocean's role in the earth's climate, predict the evolution of our weather and climate, and detect changes in ocean current patterns.
The EURO-ARGO European Research Infrastructure Consortium, launched last summer, is a cooperation between several EU member states and institutes.
It has its headquarters at the Brest campus of IFREMER, the French institute for research for exploitation of the sea. The funds were provided by the EU's new Maritime and Fisheries Fund, via the Executive Agency for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises.
