Robotic submarines begin gathering Arctic data

Chronicle of Higher Education : Oceanographers used to rely on military submarines to gather data on the salinity, temperature, and other properties of the seawater beneath Arctic ice. Now, a new means has been developed: instrument-laden robotic submarines known as seagliders. About the size and shape of a car-top cargo box, seagliders can determine their own courses to sample a range of depths and locations. The data they collect are transmitted back to the lab via satellite when the seagliders surface. Each unit costs about $150 000.