Opening ceremony of the Summer School on underwater gliders.

The Canary Islands Oceanic Platform -PLOCAN- as International Excellence Campus (CEI) promoter, within the framework of MaReS transnational cooperation project of the Macaronesian archipelagos in a common strategy for research and technological development in marine sciences, energy and climate change, has scheduled a Summer School on autonomous underwater gliders with will involve students, teachers, institutes and universities from several countries.

The two-weeks Glider Summer School "Gliders", has been opened today Monday 16th July at the Canarian Institute of Marine Sciences-ICCM- auditorium in Taliarte, by the Chancellor of the University of Las  Palmas de Gran Canaria, José Regidor Garcia, the ICCM’s director, Esther Caceres del Toro and the PLOCAN’s director, Octavio Llinás Gonzalez.

The aim is to provide an overview on the state of the art and the basic functional and operational principles of such underwater vehicles a group of twelve students from Portugal, Cape Verde, Sweden and Spain, with the collaboration and participation of 17 international specialized companies in the field of ocean observing systems. The educational content includes both theoretical and practical sessions, being these last both laboratory and open waters of Gran Canaria.

Nowadays PLOCAN own several underwater gliders units and technologies that will be displayed and used by students during the School as examples of the different options that market currently offers. In parallel, the School will provide information through the manufacturers, on new glider developments, including a detailed view on sensor modules and accessories able to be fitted in this type of marine observation platforms.

Scientific applications underwater gliders

Students will have the opportunity to know the interactions between different ocean observing platforms, operational capabilities and synergies, data management and physical and biochemical sensors, among others. They will have also the support of a significant representation of specialized companies internationally, as well as some of the reference institutes, universities and research centers related to this research and technology sector in Europe and USA.