Since the 1960s, the Floating Instrument Platform has bobbed at the sea surface, supporting numerous discoveries. One scientist recalls his time aboard FLIP during what was likely its final mission.
Ocean observing systems
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Remote-Controlled Ocean Drones Observe Atmospheric Cold Pools
Novel uncrewed sailing vehicles measured properties of atmospheric cold pools in hard-to-reach regions of the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Robot Measures Air-Sea Carbon Dioxide Exchange in Southern Ocean
Unique air and ocean surface observations of the Southern Ocean from a 22,000 km, 196-day circumnavigation around Antarctica by an Uncrewed Surface Vehicle.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
A Floating Buoy Fleet Could Help Scientists Track Rising Seas
A new observing system to track mean sea level could piggyback on infrastructure already in place and extend the geographic area over which sea level is monitored.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Autonomous Minisubmarine Measures Seawater Conditions
Forecasts of carbonate chemistry in coastal ecosystems determined from seasonal robotic measurements can improve fisheries management and help mitigate short-term ocean acidification events.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Ship-Based Measurements Overestimate Southern Ocean Carbon Sink
New research suggests that combining ship- and float-based observations provides a more accurate measure of how much carbon the Southern Ocean absorbs.
Posted inScience Updates
Monitoring the Environment in the Northwestern Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Ocean Observing System for the Environment (MOOSE) network integrates a range of platforms to detect and identify long-term environmental anomalies.
Posted inScience Updates
Progress and Planning in Understanding Ocean Acidification
The 4th Global Ocean Acidification Observing Network (GOA-ON) International Workshop; Hangzhou, China, 14–17 April 2019
Posted inScience Updates
Designing the Global Observing System for Marine Life
Identifying the Backbone of a Global Observing System for Marine Life and Planning Its Implementation for the Next Decade; Santa Barbara, California, 5–7 March 2019
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Numerical Models Overestimate Near-Inertial Wind Power Input
The first study to estimate the global wind power on internal gravity waves based solely on observations offers a new benchmark for comparing future calculations.