Know your Ocean

A new tide gauge was installed and launched by the Tuvalu Minister for Communication & Transport, Hon. Monise Laafai with support from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and the Pacific Community (SPC).

Situated at the new wharf in Funafuti, the Tide Gauge will monitor weather, tides, sea level and land movement providing real time weather observations. There are 20 tide gauges installed and providing vital ocean and climate information in the Pacific. The Tide Gauges also provides real time observations and through COSPPac and BoM, SPC is able to publish Annual Tide Predictions, which have been of great benefit to local fishermen and women and related sectors for planning ocean and coastal activities.

The installation of the new tide gauge has been made possible through the Climate and Oceans Support Program in the Pacific (COSPPac), a program managed by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BoM), Geoscience Australia, through the support of DFAT.

Since it launched in 2012, COSPPac has been a major component of the Australian Government’s work with Pacific Island countries on adaptation to the impacts of climate variability and change.

COSPPac has worked to build the capacity of Pacific Island National Meteorological Services (NMSs), Land & Survey Departments (LSDs), and other relevant agencies to understand and apply climate, ocean and sea level information for the benefit of island governments and communities.

COSPPac is managed by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) in partnership with SPC, Geoscience Australia and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)