A mooring is a long anchored line of scientific equipment and floats, deployed to collect data from the ocean for 1-2 years.

Surface moorings collect ocean, meteorological and atmospheric data, like wind speed, wave height and temperature and sub-surface moorings measure things like temperature and conductivity (saltiness) at the same depth, across an ocean current.

This animation explains how this equipment is used on board Investigator, Australia’s new Marine National Facility research vessel.

Transcript: RV Investigator – moorings (general)