‘Throughout the development process we have faced several significant technological challenges, said Jason Gobat, an oceanographer working on the project at the University. ‘One of the hurdles we had to overcome was accurately positioning the Seaglider. In simple terms we must know where it is when it collects a specific piece of data. We needed its precise path and we also needed to know how deep it was gliding so it would avoid hitting the seabed or any ice floes on the surface.’

Great Yarmouth UK based Applied Acoustic Engineering (AAE) was known to be a company versed in challenges of underwater acoustic positioning from its work on an earlier project and it was contacting them for the new technological demands.

The initial requirement was for a combined positioning transponder and altimeter to fit into a small space. It needed to use very little power to minimise drain from a limited energy source. With just outline information on what was expected, AAE’s electronic engineers opted to design a huge amount of flexibility into the circuitry to anticipate and cover every possibility the customer may need.

Steve Silvers, AAE’s chief designer on the project said, ‘Initially we received a request from our agents Subsea Technologies in Houston, USA about a prototype transponder/altimeter board being required for a prestigious project. There were few specifics so we developed a product with as many software and hardware permutations as we could so what was needed could be tweaked and modified by the end user. Giving the scientists as much control as they needed turned out to be the right way to proceed.’

As with all research and development projects, there were several months of trial and error in the laboratory and at sea but eventually the University achieved its goals and now Applied Acoustic’s boards are built into every Seaglider. The diving, free-swimming device can be commanded remotely to continuously collect information on the ocean’s profile over time.