And They’re Off!

Credit: Darlene Trew Crist © WHOI.

Gliders are an important component of the Coastal Endurance Array. They collect data from the water column in between the moorings. The first tasks of the Endurance 19 expedition were the deployment of two gliders at the Washington Offshore site–Glider 320 (Grays Harbor Deep) and Glider 382 (Grays Harbor Shallow). Glider lead Stuart Pearce, shown above at the Ocean Observing Center (OOC) at Oregon State University, is charged with keeping the gliders operational. After successful deployment and recovery, he brings them back to OOC where he breaks them down, cleans them up, and prepares them for another important six-month deployment.  Stuart is onboard the Atlantis to ensure all glider operations proceed smoothly.