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As the independent drifting Slang measuring instruments help scientists to explore the ocean.

Article in the Independent newspaper of Konstantin Vladimirovich Lebedev - the candidate of physical and mathematical sciences, the associate professor in "Oceanology", the senior research associate of Laboratory of sea currents of Institute of oceanology of P.P. Shirshov of RAS.

The purpose of the international Slang project - creation and maintenance of permanent global network of oceanographic stations on the basis of the drifting buoys measuring instruments. The Slang project directed to collecting with use of satellites of information on oceanic thickness gives to scientists unique opportunities of continuous monitoring of a condition of the World Ocean.

Operation of measuring instruments happens according to the following scheme. The buoy drifts about 10 days at the set depth, then falls by depth of 2 km and emerges on a surface, taking temperature and salinity of water. To the time spent for a surface data are transferred to satellites which define exact location of the device then the buoy plunges on depth again. Energy of batteries lasts for 3-4 years of work. As of today in the World Ocean about 4 thousand Slang measuring instruments (fig. 1) continuously work.