LOWERED ACOUSTIC DOPPLER CURRENT PROFILER ANALYSIS OF DATA FROM SLOCUM G3 GLIDER IN A WESTERN BOUNDARY CURRENT

A Slocum G3 Glider was deployed in the Florida Current, equipped with a propulsion system, which aids in glider operations in strong currents. A conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) and ADCP was mounted to the glider to record data throughout the glider’s deployment. Lowered acoustic Doppler current profiler (LADCP) techniques were implemented to analyze the vertical velocity profiles. LADCP analysis correct for the instrument (glider’s) movement in the water column using bottom tracking and GPS coordinates from the start and end of the dive. Several case studies were conducted near two mooring arrays. The glider CTD and ADCP data showed good consistency when compared to the mooring array. These case studies show that gliders, equipped with a propulsion device are effective tools in western boundary currents, such as the Florida Straits. However, the propulsion system has inherent risk as it makes the glider more susceptible to entanglement with discarded fishing gear or debris. Nevertheless, gliders are an effective oceanographic tool, and the aforementioned risk can be mitigated using an acoustic beacon to locate a missing glider or better mission planning to keep the glider out of at risk areas, such as the sea floor.