Two floats recovered by Finland

Early June, the operational team of FMI recovered the Argo float WMO 6903710 in the Bothnian Sea. This float, part of Euro-Argo RISE project, was deployed by FMI in May 2021 to test floats equipped with RBR CTD in the Baltic Sea.

The recovery is usually done in two main steps. Once the PI has requested that the float be included in the online Argo recovery tool, the float’s position is easily visualised in the area, making it possible to plan and facilitate the operation at sea. Then, with the help of the Coriolis team to activate the high frequency communication and real-time decoding, the vessel can start its approach for actual recovery of the float. Great example of the tripartite collaboration between the vessel crew, the PI of the float and the data center!

One day after, another Finnish float from the national program (WMO 6903711) was recovered in the Bothnian Sea, near the Swedish borders. This recovery was done in cooperation with Umeå University in Sweden.

Both recovered floats were recovered in good condition, and are planned to be sent to the manufacturer for battery replacement, refurbishment, and re-calibration. After this, they will be deployed in the same areas for new missions.

In addition to the usual monitoring of the state of the Bothnian Sea, these two floats were used to evaluate the RBR CTD sensor’s applicability in the area in comparison to the standard Seabird version. As RBR can measure profiles closer to the surface, it seems to be a promising technology for dynamic areas such as the Baltic Sea. For a more throughout analysis see Euro-Argo RISE D2.9.

Fishing for float 6903710

Happy rescuer with the Arvor float 6903710