Offshore services provider Green Marine UK has deployed a series of unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) in the North Sea to support a data-collecting exercise led by the UK’s National Oceanography Centre (NOC) and the Met Office.
Operating for six-month intervals, the specialist unmanned gliders will survey ocean depths approaching 200 metres for a three-year period. The project aims to dramatically improve the collection and distribution of data supporting both weather and ocean forecasts, which are vital for vessels operating in the territory.
A range of measurements including salinity and temperature will be delivered to the Met Office in near real-time. It forms part of a wider program to increase the amount of observational data fed into a new supercomputer, supporting continuous work by the Met Office to improve forecast accuracy.
Myles Metson, Green Marine UK Operations and Technology Director, said the Orkney-based firm managed the launch of five gliders this year adding to previous projects with NOC dating back to 2022. Around 24 hours is required to complete glider deployment or recovery, which is planned within a one-week window.
"As the work scope expanded, Green Marine technicians travelled to NOC’s Southampton base to receive specialist training on best practice across a range of areas," said Metson. "This included pre-deployment, deployment and recovery strategies as well as on site glider maintenance, battery charging and data extraction post recovery. In order to optimise deployment and recovery missions, our team has also developed a purpose-built frame to handle the gliders stationed on board the vessels Green Quest and Green Isle."