Gliders: Excellent New Tools for Observing the Ocean (GENTOO)
Lead Research Organisation:
University of East Anglia
Department Name: Environmental Sciences
Abstract
We all love the idea of having a robot to do our bidding. Scientists are realising that robot technology now offers exciting possibilities to observe our environment in ways we have only dreamt of. We will use a fleet of three robots roaming the ocean near Antarctica to answer science questions that are critical to our ability to predict and manage the ocean and its living resources in an era of unprecedented change. The robots we will use are called ocean gliders. Much like the familiar airborne gliders, they do not have a propeller. Batteries drive a pump to move fluid between one area within the glider and another outside its hull, thus changing whether the glider is denser than seawater, so it sinks, or less dense than seawater, so it rises to the sea surface. It glides up and down, communicating via mobile phone with the scientists controlling it each time it comes to the surface. Oil prices have risen sharply in recent years, and ships use a great deal of oil. Using gliders as part of our future ocean and climate observing systems will save tax-payers' money since some ocean observations can be done much more efficiently by remotely controlled gliders. Gliders can also observe the ocean when we'd really rather not be there with ships, such as in winter or in strong winds and heavy seas. This project plans to show that these possibilities are within our grasp. We have assembled a multidisciplinary team of scientists who together are grappling with puzzles about how the ocean system works around Antarctica. Dense cold water sinks around the continent of Antarctica when cold wind blows over the water and helps sea ice to form. We've known for nearly 100 years that this happens in the southern Weddell Sea. We think that this might now be happening in a new region, because of the recent collapse of the Larsen Ice Shelf. Our gliders will measure the amount of dense water spilling off the continental shelf. This is important because climate models suggest that the amount and properties of this dense water are likely to impact on the global ocean overturning circulation that controls our climate; we need to know if these are changing. This dense water spilling over the continental slope probably also affects where the ocean currents are. So these currents might be moving further onshore or offshore, as the dense water changes. We'll try to measure and understand this. These changes in the ocean currents also affect the animals living in the waters near Antarctica. Krill are shrimp-like creatures that form the prey for animals such as whales, seals and penguins, not to mention underpinning a multi-million pound krill fishing industry (ever had a krill pizza?). Krill lay their eggs around the Antarctic Peninsula, and are then carried across the Scotia Sea to South Georgia by the ocean currents. Whilst the west Antarctic Peninsula is well surveyed, we don't know how many krill are in the Weddell Sea, on the eastern side of the Peninsula, possibly spending the winter under sea ice. Might the changes in ocean current affect whether these krill reach South Georgia? If we can establish that the krill are surviving under the ice and could travel to South Georgia, it may be that marine mammals and the krill fishing industry will be less vulnerable to climate change than we have feared. In which case, krill may become a more important food resource for us humans too in an uncertain future; you never know, the krill pizza may find its way to your local supermarket before long!
People |
ORCID iD |
Karen J. Heywood (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Biddle L
(2015)
Ocean glider observations of iceberg-enhanced biological production in the northwestern Weddell Sea
in Geophysical Research Letters
Liblik T
(2016)
Potential for an underwater glider component as part of the Global Ocean Observing System
in Methods in Oceanography
Azaneu M
(2017)
Variability of the Antarctic Slope Current System in the Northwestern Weddell Sea
in Journal of Physical Oceanography
Thompson A
(2018)
The Antarctic Slope Current in a Changing Climate
in Reviews of Geophysics
Guihen D
(2022)
Antarctic krill likely avoid underwater gliders
in Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers
Description | We documented for the first time the long term trends in temperature around Antarctica (published in Science). We discovered the dynamical processes by which heat crosses the Antarctic continental slope (the importance of eddies (published in Nature Geoscience). We documented climate variability, its causes and ecological impacts around the Antarctic Peninsula. We demonstrated the value of ocean gliders for monitoring remote and hazardous locations. We showed for the first time the impact of iceberg meltwater in stimulating plant growth in the ocean from ocean glider measurements close to an iceberg. |
Exploitation Route | Useful for managing krill fisheries for CCAMLR. |
Sectors | Aerospace, Defence and Marine,Environment |
Description | AlterEco |
Amount | £1,800,000 (GBP) |
Funding ID | NE/P013902/1 |
Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 04/2017 |
End | 04/2020 |
Description | Brazilian PhD studentship funding |
Amount | £50,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | Government of Brazil |
Sector | Public |
Country | Brazil |
Start | 09/2014 |
End | 09/2017 |
Description | ERC Advanced Grant |
Amount | € 3,500,000 (EUR) |
Organisation | European Research Council (ERC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | Belgium |
Start | 09/2017 |
End | 09/2022 |
Description | EnvEast PhD studentship |
Amount | £70,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | University of East Anglia |
Department | EnvEast NERC Doctoral Training Partnership |
Sector | Academic/University |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 09/2016 |
End | 04/2020 |
Description | Half PhD student stipend |
Amount | £25,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | Centre For Environment, Fisheries And Aquaculture Science |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 09/2016 |
End | 09/2020 |
Description | NEXUSS CDT studentship (fees and RTSG only) |
Amount | £20,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 09/2016 |
End | 09/2020 |
Description | NSFPLR-NERC: Thwaites-Amundsen Regional Survey and Network (TARSAN) |
Amount | £481,653 (GBP) |
Funding ID | NE/S006419/1 |
Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 06/2018 |
End | 06/2025 |
Description | Processes Influencing Carbon Cycling: Observations of the Lower limb of the Antarctic Overturning (PICCOLO) |
Amount | £688,827 (GBP) |
Funding ID | NE/P021395/1 |
Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 06/2017 |
End | 07/2027 |
Description | University of East Anglia half student stipend |
Amount | £25,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | University of East Anglia |
Sector | Academic/University |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 09/2016 |
End | 09/2020 |
Description | Royal Society summer science exhibition 2013 A Pinch of Salt |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | Yes |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Lots of web interest. Media interviews for television. Articles in newspapers. Invitations to talk at local groups. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
URL | http://sse.royalsociety.org/2013/exhibits/salty-ocean/ |