BIOS Utilizing Underwater Gliders For Research
The Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences [BIOS] is utilizing a new technology as it uses autonomous underwater gliders, opening up “new ways to investigate the sea around us.”
The institute’s gliders are being used for a variety of purposes, including being piloted directly into the paths of hurricanes for a rare look at what happens under the sea surface before, during and after the storms.
A BIOS video on the subject says, “More than half a million visitors travel to Bermuda each year to enjoy the island’s beaches and sub-tropical waters. It may surprise some to learn that the waters surrounding Bermuda also travel great distances, from as far away as the Arctic and Antarctic oceans.
“This complex interconnected ocean system is vital to life on earth yet much remains to be understood.”
Gliders at BIOS :
“At the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences, scientists have been monitoring these waters for more than a century, conducting research to learn about the important role that oceans play in modulating climate and sustaining life. They gather data using instruments mounted on satellites and deployed from ships.
“Now a new technology – autonomous underwater gliders – has opened new ways to investigate the sea around us. Gliders can dive to depths of 3000 feet and travel about 15 miles a day. They may cover thousands of miles on a single mission. Compared to research ships, gliders are relatively inexpensive to operate and maintain and unlike humans, they can work 24 hours a day for months at a time without a break and in the face of turbulent weather conditions.
“As a glider travels, it records detailed snapshots of the ocean’s physical, chemical, acoustical and optical properties. Every few hours, the glider surfaces to transmit some of this data by satellite to labs onshore. There, scientists analyse the information and can adjust a glider’s mission by sending it a new set of instructions including when to return to land.
“The institute’s gliders are being used for a variety of purposes. They have been piloted directly into the paths of hurricanes for a rare look at what happens under the sea surface before, during and after these storms. This may help to improve forecasting accuracy.
“They are also used to observe and understand ocean processes that affect the marine food web, chemistry and global climate change.”
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