After 277 days at sea, any sailor would look a little salty! 🌊🚤⚓️ . MBARI's fleet of Wave Gliders was out in the ocean nearly every day in 2018 collecting all sorts of important information about the ocean environment. . These trusty autonomous vehicles have a surfboard-like float at the surface and spring-loaded paddles that uses wave energy for motion underneath. The solar panels on top supply power to the computers, scientific instruments, and communications gear that are used for gathering data. This information is analyzed by scientists to study processes such as coastal upwelling, ocean acidification, hypoxia (low oxygen levels), and climate variability. There's even a meteorological sensor package that measures wind speed, direction, air temperature, and air pressure. But we're not done yet! It also has GPS for precise location measurement and a collection of antennas for communications. These mobile ocean platforms provide MBARI researchers with a wealth of opportunities to collect information and learn more each day about the state of our ocean. #WaveGlider #MarineTechnology #OceanTech #tech #Technology #autonomousvehicle #oceanography #MarineOperations #MBARI #ResearchVessel #AUV #ROV #oceanrobot #ocean #oceanscience #MontereyBay