Ocean observation: the network of underwater robots is strengthened with Euro-Argo ONE

The Euro-Argo ONE project, funded by the European Commission under Horizon Europe, has been officially launched. The aim of the project is to further develop the global network of Argo floats, underwater robots for ocean observation.

The project, which was officially launched from 17 to 19 February with a kick-off meeting at the Sorbonne in Paris, is led by the Euro-Argo European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC), the European research infrastructure that provides, implements and manages a quarter of the global Argo fleet. A total of 23 partners are involved, including for Italy the National Institute of Oceanography and Applied Geophysics (OGS) and the Institute of Marine Sciences of the National Research Council (CNR-ISMAR).

This project, launched a decade after the creation of Euro-Argo ERIC, represents an important development step for the consortium and allows it to align its objectives with those of OneArgo — the new vision of the international Argo programme for ocean observation by Argo floats — at a time when global, comprehensive and multidisciplinary ocean observation is crucial. By strengthening the research infrastructure at European level, Euro-Argo ONE aims to make a sustainable and long-term European contribution to the OneArgo programme to improve understanding of ocean complexity, refine climate models and strengthen Europe's capacity to tackle pressing environmental challenges.

The OGS contribution falls within the framework of the Argo-Italy programme, which is funded by the Italian Ministry of Universities and Research (MUR) and contributes to the international Argo programme. The infrastructure of Argo-Italy has been significantly improved thanks to the ITINERIS project under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) - NextGenerationEU, allowing not only to increase the number of Italian floats, but also to test new biogeochemical sensors that open up innovative research opportunities.

With Euro-Argo ONE, it'll be possible to optimise the costs of the infrastructure and improve its resilience and sustainability. Thanks to these initiatives, OGS and Argo-Italy will consolidate their leading role within the international Argo programme.