ESSO - Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services

The Scope

The scope of the Indian Argo Project is as follows:

1. Argo Floats : Deployment and sustenance of 150 Argo floats in the Indian Ocean north of 10⁰ S, (outside the EEZ) by the year 2005 in a phased manner. While it is planned to procure the Argo floats from the existing foreign suppliers to meet the requirements of at least the initial three years, technology acquisition and production of floats in India is envisaged to meet the Indian needs as well as export. Further, indigenous development of Sensors and Float systems is also envisaged for meeting the long-term requirements.
2. Argo Data and Services : Data reception and processing, quality control and dissemination of Argo data, as Indian National Argo Data Centre and the Regional Data Centre. It is also envisaged to generate value-added services required for operational oceanography for India in particular and the Indian Ocean region in general.
3. Data Assimilation : It is proposed to develop an Ocean Data Assimilation System for the Indian Ocean region.
4. Capacity Building : It is essential to develop capability and capacity in the Country to make best use of Argo data in conjunction with other oceanographic data. This requires induction of the premier scientific institutions and academia into the Argo Project through appropriate mechanisms and funding. Research Projects, Fellowships, Training Programmes at University level and Awareness Workshops at School level are considered essential.