INCOIS, NCPOR to launch a glider to study Antarctic ocean

The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) is collaborating with the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) to launch a glider near Antarctica to study sea temperatures, salinity, and geochemical processes. Gliders are autonomous underwater vehicles used to gather data in oceans. INCOIS has already deployed four gliders in the Indian Ocean, with two in the Bay of Bengal and two in the Arabian Sea. These gliders can travel 15 km a day and dive up to 2,000 meters. The data collected will help understand climate change impacts on sea levels, storms, waves, and ecosystems. INCOIS also has a real-time data monitoring facility called ‘SynOPS’ for visualizing ocean data and satellite remote sensing.