Evaluating sustained ocean monitoring using underwater gliders in Canada

Abstract

Ocean monitoring carried out by governmental agencies is instrumental to understand marine ecosystems dynamics, especially in a time of rapid environmental changes. In Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the federal agency responsible for safeguarding Canada’s three ocean basins, has been using ocean gliders for ocean monitoring purposes since 2018, following significant investment in new technologies starting in 2016. Ocean gliders are autonomous underwater vehicles capable of acquiring a suite of valuable environmental information, from the ocean surface down to 1,000 m depth, along standardized monitoring sections on Canada’s East and West coasts. This information is used by multiple organizations to sustain both national and international programs. This paper outlines the progress and realization made at DFO regarding the glider technology and its use for monitoring the ocean in Canada. This paper includes an overview of the glider technology, the identification of clients, an overview of current glider activities, and the challenges. The requirements for data management and dissemination are also discussed as well as potential extensions to the program. Reflections are also made on the resources needed to operate a sustainable national glider program in Canada to monitor the ocean. The information contained here may serve as a baseline to plan other sustained glider monitoring programs in the world.