New buoy will replace the Lightvessel to guide boats and track weather in the Channel

• Video report by Sophia Bird

A new buoy will replace the decades-old Lightvessel to guide boats and collect weather information in the Channel.

Advancements in technology mean systems that once needed a large vessel can now be carried on a much smaller buoy.

The Lightvessel was brought in following the 1978 Amoco Cadiz disaster, where a tanker hit the rocks after its steering failed.

It caused a massive oil spillage and around 300,000 seabirds were killed or injured.

The Channel Lightvessel will be decommissioned after more than 40 years of service.

Its replacement, a large buoy, will continue weather monitoring all year round - including collecting wave measurements in the sea for the first time. This data will be published once the Met Office verifies it is accurate.

The buoy will still act as a point of reference and be lit up when dark to help guide boats in the area.

The new system will also be more environmentally friendly as the navigational light only needs nine watts of power from an LED source that lasts a decade. This, combined with developments in solar-powered batteries, means fewer trips are needed for maintenance.

It will operate on a roaming 4G network, with satellite fallback if needed.