IH launches glider in Nazareth in collaboration with PLOCAN

On February 7, 2020, a glider (unmanned autonomous vehicle) off Nazareth was launched aboard the NRP Andromeda in collaboration with the PLOCAN (Canary Oceanic Platform).

On the same day, a station for CTD recording (conductivity, temperature and pressure) of the water column in the Nazaré Cannon, next to the glider starting point, was also carried out for comparison with the sensors of this vehicle.

This action took place within the framework of the cooperation established between the PLOCAN and the Hydrographic Institute for the maintenance of a permanent line of observation between Nazaré – Madeira – Canary Islands.

This glider will navigate between the surface and the 1000m deep, sending data of salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll and turbidity whenever it comes to the surface. These data are followed in real time and are expected to be recovered off the Canary Islands within two and a half months. It will then undergo maintenance and will be launched again in Nazareth before summer for a new data collection in the same line of observation.

The maintenance of this line of observation with glider is part of IH's cooperation with PLOCAN and this release is supported by Transnational Access under the EU Marine Robots project.