Gliders

California’s underwater glider network tracks ocean heat, thermal stratification, nutrients, pH, dissolved oxygen; Providing critical in-water measurements to predictive modeling systems. Typically, the gliders sample water temperature, salinity, chlorophyll fluorescence and acoustic backscatter from the surface to 500 meters depth. Gliders provide a cost-effective means for documenting hypoxia, ocean acidification, stratification (∂T/∂z), and upwelling. 

Glider observations are supported collaboratively by MBARI, Scripps Institute of Oceanography, Oregon State University, NaNOOS and CeNCOOS with funding from NOAA and the State of California. Use the listing below to see details for each mission and access data from both active and previous glider missions.

Active Glider Missions


Mission Location Begin End Portal link
Line 66.7 Monterey Bay / Offshore 2007 On going Monterey
Line 56.7 (Pt. Arena) Point Arena 2019 On going Pt. Arena
Trinidad Trinidad Head / Offshore 2015 On going Trinidad
NPS G29 Monterey Bay Area February 2021 glider is deployed and recovered periodically for engineering tests of pH sensor
NPS G34 Monterey Bay Area April 2021 glider deployed and recovered periodically for engineering tests of pH sensor

 

Completed Glider Missions

Mission Location Begin End
NPS G34 Monterey Bay Area April 2017 recovered, pressure case leak/failure
Nemesis Monterey Bay Area November 2017 recovered
UCSC 294 UCSC 294 ECOHAB / CANON 2015-05 2015-06
UCSC 260 UCSC 260 ECOHAB / CANON 2015-05 2015-06
TEX Wave Glider Monterey Bay 2014-02-06 2014-02-28
Wave Glider Monterey Bay 2013-07-20 2013-10-05
NPS Glider 34 Monterey Bay 2013-08-29 2013-10-27
NPS Glider 29 Monterey Bay 2013-08-29 2013-10-27
CANON 2013 UCSC 294 Monterey Bay 2013-09-20 2013-10-27
BENEX 2011 Monterey Bay 2011-08-16 2011-10-27
Spray 34 (MBARI/NPS glider)
Glider Track Below are data from the Naval Post Graduate School SPRAY glider 34 deployed in July 2020 in Monterey
SCRIPPS Spray Gliders
A link to the SCRIPPS Spray glider site.
Monterey Glider Line 66.7
Current Glider Position Track (blue line) and current location (red dot) A glider continuously transects CalCOFI Line 66.7 between Monterey
Trinidad Glider
This glider continuously transects from approximately 10km offshore of Trinidad Head to about 300 km offshore, repeating the line every 15-20
Pt Arena Glider Line 56.7
Current Glider Position Track (blue line) and current location (red dot) A glider continuously transects CalCOFI Line 56.7 between Pt.
Spray 29 (Naval Postgraduate School/testbed glider)
Glider Track Below are data from the Naval Post Graduate School SPRAY glider 29 deployed in May 6, 2019 in