AUV support for ocean modeling in PWS

Scope of Work:

The proposed work will provide near-continuous measures of salinity and temperature in Prince William Sound using autonomous underwater vehicles. Two types of vehicles will be used in order capture both the temporal and spatial variability in water masses, mixed layer depths, the influence of tides in the region, and the influence of freshwater runoff. A Webb Research glider will maintain a presence in the center of the sound, while a REMUS-100 will systematically sample closer to land and quantifying the freshwater sources and inputs. The daily deployment and recovery operations over a three week field campaign will be conducted off two small vessels, in coordination with related CTD surveys and drifter studies. Data from the vehicles will be collated and available for model input near-real time from the glider and within 1 hour of retrieval for the REMUS AUV for the numerical modeling efforts in Prince William Sound as part of the Alaska Ocean Observing System.