June 30, 2010

A NOAA research ship and a university-owned vessel left Miami this week to begin two complementary studies gathering data on the Loop Current and area ecosystems in response to the Deepwater Horizon / BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Using underwater unmanned gliders and coastal high-frequency radar stations, NOAA’s Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS®) and its regional partners from across the nation are capturing data that will assist in the Deepwater Horizon BP oil spill response by locating and tracking oil at various levels in the water column, as well as on the Gulf surface.