In future we will be able to know the forecast for ocean conditions two weeks in advance for every corner of the world, on the surface as well as in the depths: the currents, their whirlpools, direction changes, temperature, salinity levels, the depth of the mixed layer, the height and state of the sea and so on. The ocean can be described in real time and in respect of all its states and conditions and for every measurement that might be required.

This new capability, operational forecasting of the oceans, is very exacting, but it offers real possibilities.  It demands the use of very large computer models capable of taking into account all updated satellite observations from space as well as those taken in situ in the oceans, in order to construct a coherent, three-dimensional model. France is one of  the few nations that possess this capability, and is one of the most advanced in the field. After increasing the number of successful initiatives developed during the last ten years, France has successfully implemented one of the most complex models in the world, one that describes the oceans in real time across the whole surface of the globe. It has been doing this since the autumn of 2005. There is no other equivalent system in Europe and the only other system in the world that is similar at the moment is operated by the United States Navy.

Can we really forecast ocean conditions as we forecast the weather? The challenge was as simple to understand as it was difficult to achieve: it was sufficient at the start to make a simple comparison with weather forecasting to appreciate the size of the problem. Nevertheless, everything seemed to be moving very quickly in this field within France. Since the first mock-ups of an ocean forecasting system were developed at SHOM⁽¹⁾ in 1993 until Mercator Océan,⁽²⁾ in Toulouse, implemented a full-size system, which was a thousand times more powerful and acclaimed at the international level, only 12 years had passed. However, several technological revolutions have occurred, combining great speed with rapid, considered decision-making, and a determination for which we are envied throughout the world.