ARGO OTHER DATA CENTRES The Department of Ocean Development held a series of consultations with the Indian Scientific community during 1999-2000. The consensus was that India participates in the Argo Project and deploys 150 Argo floats. Argo data is considered and imperative for addressing the following issues: Determine seasonal variability of heat budget of the seas around India. Determine the factors that influence the SST in these seas. Real-time forecasting of oceans through assimilation Improve understanding (and hence prediction) the coupled atmosphere- ocean system