Unlikely solution

The Coastal Endurance Team applied Desitin ointment, typically used to avoid diaper rashes and other skin ailments, to Glider 917.  The ointment is a zinc oxide solution that prevents marine growth on gliders that traverse the shallow coastal waters near the Endurance Array’s Washington line.  Marine growth thrives in the upper layers of water where sunlight can penetrate, aiding such growth.

Shown below is the glider launched with its protective coating in place.

The marine environment, however, is nothing but resilient.  Shown below is a glider recovered on the evening of September 21 after having spent three months in the upper coastal waters off the Washington coast. It would have been covered with marine life, imperiling its ability to maneuver, if it hadn’t been protected with a coating to prevent marine growth.