DATA BUOYS

Weather buoys are instruments which collect weather and ocean data within the world's oceans. They measure parameters such as air temperature at the ocean surface, water temperature, wave height, dominant wave period, barometric pressure, wind speed (steady and gusting), and wind direction. The buoys transmit these data via satellite communications to meteorological centers for use in weather forecasting and climate study. Both moored buoys and drifting buoys (drifting in the open ocean currents) are used. Weather Buoys are common in recording the weather.
See more at Wikipedia.org...