As a part of the ‘Integrated Ocean Information System’ for the Indian Ocean Countries, the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), Hyderabad of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, successfully deployed a Wave Rider Buoy off the Frigate Island, Seychelles. Ocean state forecasts are imperative for safe navigation and operations at sea.
The ‘Integrated Ocean Information System’ is being established by INCOIS under the technical cooperation umbrella of the Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System for Africa and Asia (RIMES). India is serving as the Chair of the RIMES Executive Council represented by the Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences.
This event is a follow up to the inauguration of the Earth System Sciences Organisation (ESSO) -INCOISOcean State Forecasting System for Seychelles and Sri Lanka by Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Science and Technology, in July 2015 at the 2nd RIMES Ministerial Conference in Delhi.
The ocean data collected will be useful not only to validate the Wave and Sea Surface Temperature (SST) forecasts from INCOIS for the oceanic region surrounding Seychelles in real time but will also help in analysing and tracking high swell events originating from the Southern Ocean and arriving at the southwest coast of India. These observations will help in further strengthening and enhancing our capability to predict the occasional High Wave events (Kallakadal) that often attack the Kerala coast causing damages to coastal villages and fishing boats.
To ensure the buoy safety and easy retrieval, a ‘Buoy drift alert system’ has also been developed and implemented. All concerned officials will receive the alert, in case the buoy drifts more than 200 metres from its position.