Viewpoint: Slocum Gliders — a new tool in marine exploration

Wednesday, January 29, 2003

By CHERYL FERRARA, Special to the Eagle

Science is lending a helping hand in solving the mysteries of red tide in Southwest Florida, according to an announcement by the Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota. Robots, called Slocum Gliders and looking much like guided missiles with fins, are being lowered into the Gulf of Mexico to track, study, forecast and shed new light on this natural phenomenon.

Karenia brevis cells, the reddish plankton considered to be the culprit in red tides, sporadically bloom in cooler gulf waters and produce a powerful nerve toxin affecting marine life and coastal dwellers. No one is quite sure what triggers the plankton bloom, but these new water gliders will have the ability to detect the plankton, record water temperatures, pinpoint bloom locations and measure the salinity of the immediate sea water.

The gliders are unmanned but highly maneuverable and are the first of their kind to be used in gulf waters. Slocum Gliders were originally employed in the Atlantic Ocean south of Martha's Vineyard in the summer of 2001 to measure the continental shelf and the variability between coastal and blue waters. Data is transmitted to landside scientists via satellite transmission so data collection is safer and less labor intensive.

One of Karenia brevis' most devastating results is that it renders shellfish inedible. With the hopeful return of the clamming industry to Marco Island's waters, an undetected bloom could wreak havoc on the fledgling industry. Much like a hurricane hunter, the Slocum Glider sends out an early warning if a bloom is detected and then proceeds to emit data on the direction and size of the outbreak. Those in the clam-farming industry could get a one-to-two-day head start on an approaching bloom and harvest early, thus saving much of their valuable crop.

For those with respiratory problems, the knowledge that an irritating airborne toxin was on its way could allow for increased caution when going to the beach or near the water. Fishermen, too, would know where not to travel and what fishing areas were most affected.

Slocum Gliders are in their experimental stage, but manufacturers are improving their technology rapidly. It is clear that ongoing improvements open a world of new opportunities for the study and prediction of ocean phenomenon.

So let's raise a glass to science, satellites and an unmanned technology that could lead the way to a new period of marine exploration.

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