Underwater glider P201 from the Oceanic Platform of the Canary Islands (PLOCAN) has been recovered from the waters to the north of Gran Canaria by the offshore patrol vessel Meteoro of the Spanish Navy, having completed its oceanographic research mission in the waters of Macaronesia.

The mission of P201 began in Madeira and lasted for one month, during which the underwater glider travelled more than 400 nautical miles and made 500 dives to 1000 m depth, in the process collecting 1.5 million data points for each of the biogeochemical seawater parameters being measured.

Glider P201 was deployed in the waters to the south of Madeira on the 11th April in a collaboration between the Oceanic Observatory of Madeira (OOM), the Portuguese Navy Hydrographic Institute and PLOCAN. Forming part of AtlantOS-H2020, a European project in which PLOCAN is a partner, the aim of the work was to conduct a scientific mission through the Macaronesian Marine and Maritime Network (R3M) providing a regional contribution to international programmes and to the European Strategy for Ocean Observation in the Atlantic.

The mission has been assisted by the invaluable support of the Portuguese Navy Hydrographic Institute and the Spanish Navy, who provided the necessary logistical support and manpower to be able to conduct the deployment and recovery operations in a safe and efficient manner, at the same time setting an example in international co-operation between governments in the context of marine research in Macaronesia.

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