Irish Glider Network | Marine Institute

The Marine Research Infrastructures Team of the Marine Institute operates three 1000m rated Teledyne Webb Slocum G3 gliders, Laochra na Mara ,Aisling na Mara and Fionn. The Irish Glider Network is part of EirOOS – the Irish Ocean Observing System which is a component of the European Ocean Observing System (EOOS).

Gliders are remotely-piloted autonomous underwater vehicles that move through the water using an inflatable bladder as a buoyancy engine. They profile vertically by changing their buoyancy and pitch angle, and the vertical motion is translated into horizontal movement by wings. Depth-averaged currents over the vertical coverage of the glider are estimated from the difference between the glider’s dead reckoning and actual displacements as measured from surface GPS fixes. The gliders can dive to depths of 1000 m while measuring environmental parameters, and relay the data to shore when surfacing between dives. They move slowly, typically about 25 cm/s horizontally, but compensate with a high endurance that allows mission durations in excess of 3 months

The gliders are available to the user community for oceanographic surveys and can be operated from the RV Tom Crean and the RV Celtic Explorer and they may also be operated from other appropriate vessels, subject to approval. The gliders are capable of operating for 90 days autonomously whilst collecting CTD profiles and other data to maximum depths of 1000m.

For further information on glider availability, operations, logistics and user access rates please contact the Marine Institute glider team. Grant-aid may be available through the ship time call.

Glider Launch

Glider being deployed from the RV Celtic Voyager

The gliders, Laochra na Mara, Aisling na Mara, have been funded by Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) as part of an SFI Research Infrastructure Award under Grant number 18/RI/5731. The gliders are part of EirOOS - the Irish Ocean Observing System: A component of the European Ocean Observing System (EOOS).

Click here for more information on the glider