Commercial applications

The fishing industry is very keen to obtain real time information about sea conditions which are favourable to fishing. Operational models provide in-depth information that cannot be obtained from satellites, but they can also supply timely information such as forecasted positions of thermal fronts or stream currents. Having such multi-dimensional knowledge should lead to the sustainable use of resources.

Another group of users come from the offshore industry. For example, understanding and predicting currents in the depths of the ocean helps in making the right operational choices regarding the safety of precise cable or pipelines manipulation manoeuvres. Users can also be found within telecommunications and electricity companies, where requirements relate to the laying of submarine cables.

Mercator owes a great deal to this sector, due to its use of satellite data for its models. But who would have thought that Mercator could serve the space industry in return? This is in fact happening, as Mercator is supplying the data which will be used to calibrate the European Space Agency's planned SMOS earth observation satellite (whose launch is scheduled for 2007). This satellite will measure ocean surface salinity. The calibration procedure consists in using ocean salinity data provided by Mercator as the reference salinity and in simulating the response that would be obtained from the salinity sensor.

The major maritime companies are currently evaluating the advantages which could be gained from operational forecasts of surface currents, in addition to weather forecasts, in their routing planning. Finally, for the last few years offshore racing has benefited from operational oceanic forecasting.