Fri Jan 02 18:16:22 UTC 2026: Here’s a summary of the article and a rewritten news report:
Summary:
Indian scientists successfully deployed and retrieved an autonomous ocean glider in the harsh conditions of the Southern Ocean near Antarctica. The glider spent 61 days collecting valuable data on temperature, salinity, oxygen, and chlorophyll levels, traveling 1300km. This achievement, part of the 44th Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica (ISEA), demonstrates India’s growing expertise in autonomous ocean observation and the reliability of the technology in extreme conditions. The data gathered will contribute to understanding the crucial role the Southern Ocean plays in global climate regulation. Building on this success, India plans a much more ambitious, record-breaking, long-distance glider mission from Antarctica to the coast of Gujarat.
News Article:
Indian Scientists Achieve Landmark Antarctic Ocean Glider Mission, Plan Record-Breaking Transect
Hyderabad, India – January 2, 2026 – Indian scientists have achieved a significant milestone in oceanographic research with the successful deployment and retrieval of an autonomous ocean glider in the challenging waters of the Southern Ocean. The mission, conducted as part of the 44th Indian Scientific Expedition to Antarctica (ISEA), saw a torpedo-shaped glider collect critical data on ocean conditions near Antarctica for over two months.
Scientists Suresh Kumar from INCOIS and Jenson from NCPOR deployed the glider from the Russian research vessel MV Vasily Golovnin. The glider, a Slocum G-3 sourced from the USA, travelled 1,300 kilometers collecting data at depths of up to 1,000 metres on temperature, salinity, oxygen levels, and chlorophyll. Despite severe sea conditions, the glider was recovered undamaged, demonstrating its robustness and the expertise of the Indian team.
“These gliders allow us to collect high-resolution data continuously, even in remote and hostile environments,” said E. Pattabhi Rama Rao, INCOIS group director. “This achievement underscores India’s growing leadership in autonomous ocean observations.”
The data obtained is vital for understanding the Southern Ocean, a critical climate regulator. The mission focused on the “Polar Front” where cold Antarctic waters meet warmer Sub-Antarctic waters, a region driving global weather patterns.
“Understanding this region is vital for predicting climate change impacts,” stated INCOIS director T.M. Balakrishnan Nair.
Buoyed by this success, INCOIS is planning an even more ambitious project: a record-breaking long-distance glider mission from near-shore Antarctica to the coast of Gujarat, India. The estimated 9,800km transect would be the first of its kind and provide unprecedented insights into air-sea interactions across hemispheres.
“It will stand as a landmark endeavour and a matter of national pride,” added Nair. The Slocum G-3 gliders have been successfully utilized previously in other INCOIS programmes. They are remotely operated from command center in Pragatinagar in Hyderabad, India. The gliders surface every five to six hours while on 1,000-metre dives to transmit data while continuously measuring key ocean parameters using advanced biogeochemical sensors.
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