For the last 30 years, fishermen around the world have used various types of satellite oceanography information to help them locate good fishing zones or environments before they leave port.
Satlink now offers a new service called Satlink Oceanographic Service (SOS) that is available as an overlay in the ELB Manager which will show oceanographic data along with the vessel and its buoys and gear.
Satlink’s Oceanographic Service is based on models developed by Copernicus and NOAA, and uses the following parameters;
Based on the Sea surface temperature, ocean currents, current shear, chlorophyll, plankton, salinity, thermocline depth, dissolved oxygen, salinity, altimetry, air temperature, waves, wind, pressure, clouds and precipitation.
The maps can be custom ordered for your fishing area by the captain any day of the week. Once ordered, they are imported directly into the ELB Manager for viewing and analysis. Combined with the ILL+ buoy tracks, the ocean conditions provide valuable insight of the fishing grounds, near and far from the vessel.

• Shear: shear maps show the difference between the direction and intensity of the current at the surface of the water and at a certain depth*. This can help you identify the possible location of a strong cross-current, which will affect the movement of objects in the water. This map is particularly relevant for purse-seine vessels because, if an area has a very strong shear, it may be difficult to use nets.
• Chlorophyll: chlorophyll maps show where microscopic plant organisms are growing at the water's surface. This is a good indicator of where marine ecosystems are thriving. These plant organisms, known as phytoplankton, are at the bottom of the food chain. So, regions with a lot of phytoplankton also tend to have a diverse population of species.
• Currents: currents reflect the movement of ocean water from one zone to another. The richest fisheries are normally in areas where different currents meet and mix with each other because, in these areas, conditions tend to be optimal for supporting species diversity.
• Dissolved Oxygen: dissolved oxygen in the water is crucial for marine life and, combined with salinity and temperature, it defines biological diversity and water quality. Areas with low dissolved oxygen tend to have lower water quality and support a narrower variety of species.
• Salinity: salinity changes provide information on the location of influxes of freshwater, which often bring nutrients. Salinity also affects water density, which is key to studying ocean circulation.
• Altimetry: altimetry shows the height of the surface of the sea in relation to average sea level. Altimetry shows upwelling zones, where nutrients are brought to the surface by currents, and downwelling zones, where warmer water moves down towards the sea bed.
• Temperature: water temperature is a key factor in defining zones where different species of fish can thrive because each species can survive only between certain limits. Temperature differences also control ocean currents and they can provide an idea of the areas that are the richest in nutrients.
• Thermocline: the depth of the thermocline provides an idea of the depth of the epipelagic zone, where most marine species can be found. Changes in the depth of the thermocline also affect the behavior and distribution of fish, restricting them to certain depths.