True. Unmanned underwater gliders are suitable platform for cost-effective, long-term monitoring of shelf sea ecosystems.
Autonomous underwater gliders, represent a rapidly-maturing technology with a large cost-saving potential over currently available ocean sampling techniques, especially for sustained, month at a time, real-time oceanographic measurements.
Underwater gliders move efficiently through the water-column by exploiting their ability to change their weight in water. As a frequent communications and shallow dives, which imply frequent changes in buoyancy, is an increase in power consumption and therefore a reduction in mission length.
Currently the operational endurance of the gliders varies from 3 to 4 weeks for the shallow SLOCUM glider (max. depth ≤ 200m) to several months for the deeper diving gliders Seaglider (max. depth ≤ 1000m) and Spray (max. depth ≤ 1500m).
All three gliders are comparable in size and handling requirements. Their weight in air is approximately 50 kg and their total volume change capacity is between 0.5 and 1% of their total displacement. The horizontal speed relative to the surrounding water is typically around 35 cm/s.
Gliders may be equipped with a wide variety of sensors to monitor temperature, salinity, currents, and other ocean conditions. This information creates a more complete picture of what is happening in the ocean, as well as trends scientists might not otherwise be able to detect from satellites or large research ships.
Learn more about ocean gliders at oceanservice.noaa.gov and terpconnect.umd.edu.