New technologies for marine research: five years of glider activities at IMEDEA

Abstract

SUMMARY: This paper summarizes the glider activities carried out in the last 5 years by the IMEDEA Department of Marine Technologies, Operational Oceanography and Sustainability (TMOOS). TMOOS has been operating gliders in the Western Mediterranean Sea since 2006 and has set-up electronic and maintenance laboratories in order to establish a key glider port in the area. Twenty-two glider missions have been performed to date and over 17000 hydrographic and biogeochemical profiles collected. TMOOS is using gliders for operational, technological and scientific objectives. Studies of path planning analysis and adaptive sampling for gliders in combination with other platforms have been undertaken and new methodologies have been developed to process data from gliders. Thus far, IMEDEA gliders have contributed to the better understanding of mesoscale processes in the upper ocean, including the coupling between the physical and biogeochemical process of the marine ecosystem and, in combination with remote sensing observations, high-resolution glider data has enabled advances in new methodologies to improve coastal altimetry. Gliders have also proved to be important platforms for the development of operational oceanography tools and useful vehicles on which to test and implement new sensors for ocean monitoring.Keywords: Autonomous underwater vehicles, ocean observing system, upper ocean mesoscale processes, Balearic Sea. RESUMEN: Nuevas tecNologías para la iNvestigacióN mariNa: 5 años de actividades de gliders eN el imedea.-Este artículo resume las actividades de gliders llevadas a cabo en los últimos 5 años en el Departamento de Tecnologías Marinas, Oceanografía Operacional y Sostenibilidad (TMOOS) del IMEDEA. El departamento TMOOS realiza misiones con gliders en el Mediterráneo occidental desde el año 2006. Se han creado nuevos laboratorios de electrónica y de mantenimiento con el fin de establecer un 'glider-port' clave en esta zona del Mediterráneo. Se han realizado veintidos misiones que han supuesto la adquisición de un total de 17.000 perfiles hidrográficos y biogeoquímicos. El TMOOS usa los planeadores submarinos con fines operacionales, tecnológicos y científicos. Se han realizado estudios sobre planificación de rutas y muestreo adaptativo de gliders en combinación con otras plataformas y se han desarrollado nuevas metodologías para el procesado de los datos. Los planeadores han contribuido a una mejor comprensión de los procesos de mesoescala de la capa superficial del océano, incluyendo el acoplamiento de procesos físicos y bio-geoquímicos de los ecosistemas marinos. Combinando observaciones de alta resolución de gliders y de satélites se ha avanzado en el desarrollo de nuevas metodologías para mejorar la altimetría costera. Además, los planeadores también han demostrado ser una plataforma ideal para la oceanografía operacional y en la que se pueden probar e implementar nuevos sensores para la monitorización de los océanos.Palabras clave: vehículos autónomos submarinos, sistemas observación océano, procesos me...

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