Glider measurements of phytoplankton physiology in penguin foraging zones along the Western Antarctic Peninsula

Slocum Gliders have proven their usefulness in providing large volumes of high definition data but for the first time we were able to couple that with a FIRe system and look at the efficiency rates of phytoplankton in a hard to sample region of the world. The FIRe equipped glider allowed for high spatial and temporal resolution of physiological data vs. discrete samples taken with the traditional Go-Flo/Niskan bottle method and/or continuous flow through surface sampling via ships. We have identified numerous quality control measures that will need to be furthur explored for continued success of the sensor. While the FIRe sensor is an energy intensive system, operating intelligently will maximize data quality and mission endurance. Possible sensor revisons such as the addition of a shroud are being considered to help with NPQ.