Title: GLIDER South
Start date: April 2017
End date: June 2017
Coordinator: Prof. Aldo Drago
The prolific engagements of the Oceanography Malta Research Group (ex-Physical Oceanography Research Group) in marine observations matured further with the deployment of dedicated equipment to measure and deliver data in real time. This is the essence of operational oceanography whereby data is streamed directly to users for direct applications and support to their everyday activities.
GLIDER South was a lucrative initiative that the Group undertook in collaboration with CNRS-INSU (the National Institute for Earth Sciences and Astronomy within the French National Center for Scientific Research). This project was proposed and led by Prof. Aldo Drago within the H2020 JERICO NEXT Trans National Access activities. Underwater remotely manned gliders were deployed close to Malta and along transects to the south, providing very pristine datasets. Gliders are torpedo-like autonomous vehicles which dive into the sea making adaptive measurements of the water column with a payload of interdisciplinary sensors and communicating data in real time via satellite as they surface intermittently during their data acquisition expeditions.
This put the University of Malta further on the map as a key contributor in operational oceanography and physical oceanographic research in the Central Mediterranean area.
