SEA temperature measuring buckets may not sound like the sexiest objects on Earth.

But the pivotal role they play in monitoring global climate change was celebrated at the National Oceanographic Centre yesterday when the inventor of one of the most universally-respected instruments dedicated his pioneering design to the centre.

At 93, former meteorologist and engineer Allan Crawford MBE was keen to ensure his inventions, records and archives are preserved for future generations.

Having developed several links with Southampton throughout his distinguished career - regularly passing through the port en route to South Africa, where he lived for more than 30 years - Mr Crawford, from Wadhurst, East Sussex, felt the city was the rightful home for his treasured invention.

Dr Elizabeth Kent, from the centre's ocean circulation and climate division, has extensively referenced Mr Crawford's work in her research.

Accepting the bucket on the centre's behalf, she explained why, although some 40 years old, it still plays such a key role in keeping track of global weather patterns.

She said: "Many of today's buckets are probably not as good as the one Mr Crawford designed in the 60s. Although he retired many years ago his work for the World Meteorological Organisation is an important record of state-of-the-art sea temperature measurement post-war.

"Many of the merchant ships that use Southampton docks routinely take weather observations, including sea temperature, which are transmitted via satellite to the Met Office in Exeter and used to improve their forecasts.

"To build up a picture of our changing climate we need as many observations from as much of the ocean as possible. Observations made using cheap and reliable instruments, like the buckets, are therefore vital."

Mr Crawford, who has penned a number of books about the tiny Atlantic island of Tristan da Cunha whose population of 263 was relocated to a disused RAF base at Calshot following a volcano in 1961, has also donated archives to Scott Polar Research Institute at Cambridge University.