We deployed the first Scripps SOLO float in dark and foggy conditions. The biology class from UT University Academy that adopted it gave it the perfect name, Aqua Serenity. The seas were indeed serene, almost eerily so, at just after midnight Alaska time when the float splashed into the Pacific Ocean. The students from UT University Academy named it Aqua Serenity because it conjures a sense of calm and tranquility that is associated with the ocean.
The boxed float Aqua Serenity floating in the water. Photo by Melissa Miller
The float Aqua Serenity in the lab at Scripps Institution of Oceanography’s float lab. Photo by Melissa Miller.
Float #4011 has already checked in with the lab via satellite and sent a few profiles down to 500 meters (see the plots below). Just the first of many over its lifetime. A class from UT University Academy in Tyler, Texas adopted the float and will be following along to see where it goes next.
Some profile plots sent back by Aqua Serenity.
The captain says the weather is going to pick up, so our next deployment likely won’t be as smooth. The crew and techs are ready for anything though and are doing a great job facilitating all this cool science equipment we’re deploying as the ship transits to Kodiak. Keep an eye out for a report about float #2 soon!