Stanford Researchers Use Wave Glider to Track Predators

Stanford Scientist Barbara Block is using the Liquid Robotics Wave Glider to track predators in the Pacific. Dr. Block has long been involved in the Tagging of Pacific Predators (TOPP) program. Tagging of Pacific Predators began in 2000 as one of 17 projects of the Census of Marine Life, an ambitious 10-year, 80-nation endeavor to assess and explain the diversity and abundance of life in the oceans, and where that life has lived, is living, and will live. Block and her colleagues found North America's West Coast to contain several varied creatures like tuna, white sharks, sea turtles, seals, and albatross. Therefore, the California Current is likened to Africa's Serengeti. This initiative also involves wiring up the favorable regions discovered during TOPP. As part of the initiative, a cost-effective technology has to be adopted for long-term tracking of sharks, and bringing listening stations to the water. At present, acoustic tags have been equipped to 120 white sharks along with five Mako sharks and 27 salmon sharks, in addition to other creatures. Those buoys are moored in Tomales Point, Año Nuevo, and the Farallon Islands, which are three foraging hot spots that are populated with seals, sea lions, and other prey attracting white sharks. A shark's transmitter or any animal having an acoustic tag can be detected by the buoys beyond 2,000 ft. The data is rapidly transmitted in near real time to mobile devices. The Wave Glider surfs along the coast close the hot spots where these animals frequent. Liquid Robotics-made device features an underwater glider linked to a 7-foot-long "surfboard" having scientific equipment glides on the surface. The glider is vertically pulled in accordance to the floating of waves. The glider's fins rotate, converting an upward wave motion to forward thrust and in the opposite direction. The project gives real-time information of sharks and other animals, and also introduces a new iPhone and iPad app to better connect to ocean and marine creatures.