New paper
Spatial extent and historical context of North Sea oxygen depletion in August 2010 is out! It's now available online first, published in Biogeochemistry. Get it while it's hot! DOI: 10.1007/s10533-012-9729-9
EGU 2012
EGU 2012 We will be presenting results from the 2010 North Sea survey (in press). We will also be showing for the first time high resolution Seaglider observations of the deep chlorophyll maximum in the North Sea (2011) and its link to dissolved oxygen concentrations.
Alongside, posters will be on display for both of our recent Antarctic Seaglider missions (GOVARS and GENTOO).
The schedule is as follows:
BG3.1 Poster session, Wednesday evening
Oxygen depletion in land-locked, coastal and open ocean systems of the present and past – driving mechanisms, impacts and recovery
OS1.4 Poster session, Thursday evening
The Southern Ocean and its Role in the Global Climate System
GENTOO mission
GENTOO has begun! It aims to observe variability and inter-dependence of ocean physics, chemistry and biology at the boundary between the Antarctic margins and the global ocean. The RV James Clark Ross is steaming down from the Falkland Islands to the Antarctic Peninsula to deploy three Seagliders belonging to the University of East Anglia, CalTech and iRobot as well as measure krill biomass using a acoustics and net sampling. We want to try to measure the formation and the amount of dense water spilling off the continental shelf east of the Antarctic Peninsula. At the same time, researchers from the British Antarctic Survey want to track and measure large swarms of krill with acoustics and then use the net sampling to confirm that acoustic methods can be used effectively. The first seaglider, SG 546, will be launched tomorrow morning. You can see the data or follow the cruise with the links below.
More press coverage
What an Orca can tell us about the North Sea
DAVID GREEN reports on a new piece of technology which will help give us a better understanding of what is happening in our seas.
Interview after our North Sea mission in 2011. We aimed to obtain high resolution measurements of the deep chlorophyll maximum and low oxygen region of the North Sea by deploying Seaglider 510.
New Seaglider mission
Seaglider 510, aka Orca, is to be launched today in the North Sea to investigate the chemical, biological and physical mechanisms regulating the occurrence of seasonal oxygen depletion north of Dogger Bank. The UEA Seaglider will be released from the RV CEFAS Endeavour during the International Bottom Trawl Survey at 56°45.00'N 02°25.00'E near the Judy oil field. The Seaglider will survey the area along a short North-South transect for nearly 3 weeks to observe the evolution of oxygen concentrations near the sea-bed and its possible ties to phytoplankton productivity, mixing and topography. This mission will also provide an interesting challenge from the perspective of piloting due to the strength of currents, density of fishing vessels and oil platforms as well as the shallow nature of this region of the North Sea.
Succesful test in the North Sea
Seaglider 510, aka Orca, was succesfully launched and recovered on Tuesday 10th of May. A trial run just north of Dogger Bank (55°40.76'N 02°16.16'E) was done to assess the Seaglider's ability to fight against tidal currents and to estimate battery drain in this shallow region. Orca performed exceptionally well, doing a total of 23 dives over 9 and half hours, and will be returning to the North Sea for a 3 week long deployment in August.
In the news: Bloom with a view
Bloom with a View: Robot Subs Help Researchers Study Mysterious Antarctic Sea Life Having tested their mettle in the Gulf of Mexico following the Deepwater Horizon disaster, automated sea gliders are deployed in polar-opposite conditions to investigate short-lived phytoplankton blooms
