Oceanographic Drifter Deployments in Alaskan Waters

Satellite-tracked oceanographic drifters provide an informative (and nearly realtime) depiction of surface circulation that complements other measurements collected by shipboard sampling, instrumented moorings. and numerical models.

Our focus in this and previous drifter studies in the Bering Sea has been on the nearshore circulation. Most cruises aboard large research vessels are limited to water depths greater than 20m (66 feet). Along Alaska's western shoreline, the vast area between the 20m isobath and land is largely devoid of sparse oceanographic measurements. The drifter data allow us to better understand the ocean currents in these poorly sampled coastal regions.