Pioneering Study to Improve Weather Prediction and Global Carbon Budget Understanding

Google.org supports Saildrone’s ambitious mission to collect year-round ocean data in the turbulent waters of the Gulf Stream.

Saildrone today announced a new mission, partially funded by a grant of over €$1 million from Google.org, which will use Saildrone Explorer uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs) to conduct oceanographic missions to gain unprecedented insight into the impact of the Gulf Stream on weather and climate. The Saildrone mission was selected through the Google.org Impact Challenge on Climate to collect data that has the potential to transform weather forecasting and our ability to create more accurate global carbon budgets.

“We received an overwhelming number of applications to the Google.org Impact Challenge on Climate and are excited to be supporting Saildrone with funding and expertise from Google,” said Rowan Barnett, head of Google.org for EMEA and APAC. “Weather is becoming more extreme, and as a society, we must get better and smarter at predicting it in order to protect our communities. We are enthusiastic about the potential for this project to leverage technology to contribute towards that goal.”

Saildrone’s ambitious project will launch six Saildrone USVs from Newport, RI, that will spend the next 12 months traversing the Gulf Stream at various points across the Atlantic Ocean. This mission will collect critical data at a resolution that has not been possible previously, yielding new insights into the transport of heat and carbon around our oceans. The Saildrone fleet has logged more than 10,000 days at sea in some of the most extreme weather conditions on the planet. The impressive capabilities of Saildrone’s autonomous vehicles have been proven in numerous operational missions for science, ocean mapping, and maritime security, covering over 500,000 nautical miles from the Arctic to the Southern Ocean.      

“Since our first science mission, in the Arctic in 2015, Saildrone has worked tirelessly to measure climate quality data from Earth’s most remote oceans and deliver that data to scientists all over the world,” said Saildrone founder and CEO Richard Jenkins. “We are delighted to be collaborating with Google on this amazing project that will dramatically improve understanding of critical climate processes. We believe this data will enable more accurate predictions of our future, which will in turn help guide global climate policy and decision making.” 

Saildrone has pioneered the autonomous collection of critical ocean data and will lead the mission in collaboration with some of the world’s leading weather and climate scientists. The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) will lead weather forecasting research. The University of Rhode Island (URI) will lead carbon measurement research using Saildrone data collected with the industry’s most accurate and proven pCO2 sensor, developed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory and integrated into the Saildrone under a joint cooperative R&D agreement. NOAA PMEL will support quality control and post-processing of the carbon sensor data in collaboration with Dr. Jaime Palter, Associate Professor of Oceanography at URI’s Graduate School of Oceanography.

The Gulf Stream is a fast-flowing, warm ocean current in the western North Atlantic Ocean, which is hugely influential on weather and climate in Europe and around the globe. It can absorb large quantities of carbon dioxide, providing a massive economic value in terms of its role in keeping CO2 from warming the planet. During the winter, the mid-latitude storm track sends weather systems barreling over the Gulf Stream, creating strong currents and harsh weather conditions that are extremely challenging for critical ship-based data collection and dangerous for scientists and crew.

“70% of the world is covered by oceans, and they control crucial aspects of both weather and climate. The storms that feed off of Gulf Stream heat also pump CO2 into the ocean at some of the highest rates globally,” said Dr. Jaime Palter, who has been studying the North Atlantic for nearly 20 years. “As the Gulf Stream responds simultaneously to warming, shifting winds, and the impact of melting sea ice and ice sheets, there is an urgent need to quantify its role in carbon uptake, to predict its stability or vulnerability in the future.” 

“The location of the Gulf Stream and the sharp temperature differences on either side can have a big impact on weather forecasts and climate predictions,” said Philip Browne, a research scientist at ECMWF. “We are excited to be able to target saildrones to collect data from this physically and scientifically challenging region and begin exploiting the information they will provide to help improve our earth system approach to forecasting.”

Together with initiatives like the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021-2030) and Earth Day, which falls on April 22 each year, Saildrone is hoping to raise understanding and awareness of the ocean’s critical role in driving key systems that affect all of humanity, including global weather, climate, fish abundance, and ocean acidification.

About Saildrone

Navigating an ocean of data. Delivering a world of possibility.

Saildrone provides comprehensive data solutions for defense, commercial, and research, enabling real-time access to critical data from any ocean on Earth. Proprietary software applications and machine learning technology transform that data into actionable insights and intelligence for maritime security, ocean mapping, and science. Saildrone’s fleet of uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs), powered by renewable wind and solar power, are designed to scale ocean data collection with a minimum carbon footprint. Saildrone vehicles operate 24/7/365 without the need for a support vessel. Saildrone USVs have sailed more than 1,000,000 nautical miles from the Arctic to the Antarctic and spent over 32,000 days at sea in the harshest ocean conditions on the planet.

About European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF)

ECMWF is an intergovernmental organization producing global numerical weather predictions for its 34 member and co-operating states and users around the world. For more information, please visit ecmwf.int.

About University of Rhode Island’s (URI) Graduate School of Oceanography

As one of the nation’s premier academic oceanographic institutions, the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography educates marine scientists, students, policymakers, business leaders, and citizens and helps develop the knowledge and skills necessary to address present and future marine challenges. For more information, please visit uri.edu/gso.

About Google.org

Google.org is the philanthropic arm of Google. We bring the best of Google to help solve some of humanity’s biggest challenges—combining funding, innovation, and technical expertise to support underserved communities and provide opportunity for everyone.

About the Google.org Impact Challenge on Climate

The Google.org Impact Challenge on Climate commits €10M to fund bold ideas that aim to use technology to accelerate Europe’s progress toward a greener, more resilient future. Selected organizations may receive up to €2M in funding and possible customized post-grant support from the Google for Startups Accelerator to help bring their ideas to life.

Contact Us

Jenn Virskus
Director Marketing, Saildrone
Office: (510) 956-8361
jenn.virskus@saildrone.com