Saildrone

In December 2021, we will deploy 3 Saildrone Uncrewed Surface Vehicles (USVs) to monitor air-sea heat and carbon exchange across the Gulf Stream. Powered by wind and solar energy, the vehicles will repeatedly cross the Gulf Stream at three positions along the current: just east of Cape Hatteras, offshore of the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, and at a midpoint between these two (about 65°W). The vehicles are planned to collect these observations until May15, 2022. In the event of vehicle damage, there are 3 Saildrones prepared for replacement. On their return trip for recovery in Rhode Island, the R/V Endeavor will rendezvous with one or more Saildrones. We will steam in formation with the USV(s) to collect subsurface data with an underway CTD to pair with the surface data collected by Saildrone. We will also collect pCO2 and oxygen data for calibration and validation of Saildrone sensors, as well as bottle data for subsurface carbon profiles.