Taking the pulse
of the global

OceanSITES is the international network of deep ocean reference observatories that continuously measure conditions from the air-sea surface down to 5,000 meters. These fixed stations — buoys, mooring and ship-based stations at key sites around the world — collect data over years to decades, creating long time series that are vital for understanding how the ocean and the global climate are changing. These sustained observatories are one essential element of the global ocean and climate observing system as they provide the continuous and consistent records needed to detect trends, variability, and change across oceanic and atmospheric systems and distinguish forced signals from internal variability. Each OceanSITES station measures a wide range of variables related to meteorology, climate, physical oceanography, biogeochemistry, the carbon cycle, biology, and geophysics using advanced sensors and satellite telemetry, providing an integrated view of the ocean as a key component of the planet’s climate.