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French Research vessels have been collecting thermo-salinometer (TSG) data since 1999 to contribute to the Global Ocean Surface Underway Data (GOSUD) programme. The instruments are regularly calibrated and continuously monitored. Water samples are taken on a daily basis by the crew and later analysed in the laboratory. We present here the delayed mode processing of the 2001–2013 dataset and an overview of the resulting quality. Salinity measurement error was a few hundredths of a unit or less on the practical salinity scale (PSS), due to careful calibration and instrument maintenance, complemented with a rigorous adjustment on water samples. In a global comparison, these data show excellent agreement with an ARGO-based salinity gridded product. The Sea Surface Salinity and Temperature from French REsearch SHips (SSST-FRESH) dataset is very valuable for the ‘calibration and validation’ of the new satellite observations delivered by the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) and Aquarius missions.

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La salinité de surface de la mer (SSS : Sea Surface Salinity) influence la dynamique océanique et porte la signature du cycle de l'eau à l'interface océan-atmosphère. Pour mieux comprendre ses variations, le Service national d'observation SSS (SNO SSS) du Laboratoire d'études en géophysique et océanographie spatiales (Legos, Toulouse) gère un réseau global de navires d'opportunité équipés de thermosalinographes, initié il y a 50 ans. La maintenance des instruments est effectuée aux ports de Nouméa et du Havre par l'Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD). Les données sont transmises en temps réel pour la surveillance des instruments et l'océanographie opérationnelle. Après correction des dérives instrumentales en temps différé, les données sont mises à disposition de la communauté scientifique internationale, et permettent d'étudier des processus océaniques et climatiques d'échelle régionale à globale, ou de valider modèles et données satellitaires. Sea Surface Salinity (SSS) affects the ocean dynamics and bears the signature of the water cycle at the ocean-atmosphere interface. To better understand its variations, the French SSS Observation Service from the Laboratory for Studies in Geophysics and Spatial Oceanography (LEGOS, Toulouse, France) manages a global network of voluntary observing ships equipped with thermosalinographs (TSG), initiated 50 years ago. The instruments are regularly serviced at harbour calls in New Caledonia and mainland France by the French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development (IRD). Data are transmitted in real time for instrument monitoring and operational oceanography. After correction of instrumental drifts in delayed time, data are freely distributed to the international research community, and used for process-oriented climate studies from regional to global scale, or for validation of models and satellite data.