Data from the NOAA-7 Advanced Very-High-Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) have been used on a routine basis for sea surface temperature (SST) retrieval at the Centre de Meteorologie Spatiale (CMS) in Lannion (France) since September 1983. Operational SST retrieval is still practised at CMS, using NOAA-9 data. Two methods are used. The first, which is automatic, produces numerical fields (resolution: 15 × 15 nautical miles); the second is manual and produces graphic documents (resolution about 10 km). The corresponding products are published in a monthly bulletin,SATMER. The accuracy of satellite SSTs has been tested by various methods, the results of which are discussed. Some case studies of SST time variability in the Mediterranean are presented. One of the main conclusions is the need for mesoscale (10 km) numerical SST fields produced as often as possible (daily) by interactive methods.