AZTI is a scientific and technological center that develops high-impact transformation projects with organizations aligned with the UN's 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
AZTI
The Basque Technology Center AZTI has been using two autonomous underwater gliders since 2024, which travel along the Basque coast to collect observation data that contributes to studying the effects of climate change on marine ecosystems.
In more detail, these gliders allow for a detailed analysis of how ocean circulation influences the cycles that sustain phytoplankton nutrient production, the base of the oceanic food chain.
"Monitoring biogeochemical changes in the water column is complex, but thanks to our gliders, we can take detailed and extensive measurements, covering up to 1,000 meters of depth and over 1,000 kilometers of distance, for periods of up to one or two months," explained Iván Manso, marine technology expert at AZTI and coordinator of the BIGFIS project.
The submarines use hydrographic sensors to measure water temperature and salinity. One of them has additional sensors to measure oxygen levels, turbidity, chlorophyll, dissolved organic matter, and nitrates. The other can detect schools of pelagic fish using an echo sounder.
Additionally, their environmental impact is minimal, as they make no noise and move by adjusting their buoyancy, following a sawtooth pattern.
Finally, along with other systems such as satellites, high-frequency radars, and moored buoys, they help better understand the relationship between physics and biogeochemistry and their impact on these ecosystems.
In October 2024, AZTI and Balfegó, a leading company in the capture, feeding, research, and commercialization of bluefin tuna led a new pilot project which aimed to revive bluefin tuna fishing in the Cantabrian Sea.
