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The Argo floats are mainly located in the deep water drifting with the currents there. With 5-10 day intervals, they rise from the depth to the surface while taken measurements during the ascent. The floats are equipped with sensors for measuring pressure, temperature, salinity, oxygen concentration and other biogeochemical parameters that are important for the description of the ecosystem. When a float surfaces the data are transmitted to land via satellite. Afterwards it descends to the deep ocean again until it ascends again after 5-10 days. This can continue for several years (approximately 150-200 cycles).

The float has a buoyancy equal to the surrounding water masses and it adjusts its depth by changing its buoyance using a hydraulic pump system. Data from the floats will be in near-real time available to all users via the Internet, within 24 hours after the observations have been taken. All collected data will additional be manually controlled to ensure that the data are of high scientific quality.

The goal is to have over 30 floats drifting in the Nordic Seas, the Barents Sea and the Arctic Ocean, that will be part of the European Argo infrastructure, Euro-Argo, which represents the European contribution to the global Argo. Data from the floats are important to understand the processes in the ocean and for the research on the ecosystem in the ocean. A better understanding of the state of the sea and of the global climate change is also important for Norway to succeed in management of marine areas and resources.