What is PNBOIA?
The National Buoy Program (PNBOIA) is the Brazilian national program to implement an array of drifters and coastal moorings, both monitored by satellite, and to make the data available to the scientific community in near real time.
The focus of PNBOIA is to improve the knowledge of the oceanic circulation of the South Atlantic Ocean by analyzing the lagrangian trajectories and the data collected by drifting buoys and moorings.
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Objective
Distribute in near-real time meteorological and oceanographic data information obtained in the oceanic areas of Brazilian interest.
Specific Objectives
- Implement an array of drifting buoys tracked by satellites;
- Implement an array of moored buoys monitored by satellites;
- Implement a system for reception, processing and distribution of buoy data.
Rationale
The South tropical Atlantic ocean is one of the least sampled regions of the world oceans. The lack of information is even worse in the marine region under the Brazil's responsibility to provide meteorological data for merchant ships operation, according to the SOLAS.
The actual observation net is composed by some few stations located in islands, sporadic observations done by the Brazilian Navy and voluntary merchant ships. Therefore, the data are restricted to isolated ship routes that may cross the South and tropical Atlantic or limited to a few drifting buoys.
The increase in the observation of meteorological and oceanographic data collecting array, promoted by this Project, represents the first Brazilian initiative of operational monitoring. These information will be essential to improve marine meteorological and climatological prediction over the South and tropical Atlantic ocean.
Projects
The monitoring activities in the South Atlantic are performed by the following projects: