The Whale Glider was deployed in Resurrection Bay in 2025 for testing. Photo by Seth Danielson.
Three autonomous underwater gliders are currently collecting data as part of the Gulf of Alaska Ecosystem Observatory, documenting the region’s spring transition and the start of the 2026 productivity season.
Shackleton reached the observatory station on April 5 after departing Resurrection Bay on March 24. Early measurements indicated the onset of a phytoplankton bloom by April 11, followed by a high-intensity bloom from April 18–21, marking the beginning of seasonal productivity on the Gulf of Alaska shelf. The glider is equipped to measure temperature, salinity, oxygen, light, backscatter, and chlorophyll-a fluorescence.
Blinky was deployed on April 20 and exited Resurrection Bay on April 24, continuing along the Seward Line. In addition tostandard hydrographic sensors, it carries a 200 kHz active acoustics fish finder and a plankton shadowgraph camera, providing additional insight into biological activity in the water column.
Real-time data for Shackleton (Glider 191) and Blinky (Glider 1151) are visualized on the AOOS Ocean Data Explorer portal. These gliders are observing a transition from colder, fresher nearshore waters to warmer, saltier offshore conditions.
On April 29, a third glider, Turbo, was deployed as part of the NGA Long Term Ecological Research program. It will collect microstructure turbulence data to help scientists better understand vertical nitrate fluxes that support primary productivity in the Gulf of Alaska.
A fourth platform, the Whale Glider, is expected to be deployed in the Chukchi Sea later this summer.
AOOS supports the fleet of gliders through a partnership with oceanographers at the University of Alaska Fairbanks College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences.
Learn more about the glider program page on AOOS’s website.