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DISCLAIMER:
The nowcast/forecast system and other analyses/data are research
products under development. No warranty is made, expressed or implied,
regarding accuracy, or regarding the suitability for any particular application. All rights reserved University of South Florida, Ocean Circulation Lab.
Copyright University of South Florida 2010
Observations
Drifter Locations
Beginning in May 2010, and in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the Ocean Circulation Group (OCG) at the USF College of Marine Science (CMS-USF) has deployed surface drifters in and around the Loop Current and on the West Florida Continental Shelf (WFS). The intent of these deployments are to assist in monitoring the evolution of the Loop Current and its eddies and how they are interacting with the West Florida Shelf and to observe surface water movements on the WFS itself. This information is also useful in gauging the behaviors of hydrodynamic models used in tracking the oil spill. Six drifters were initially deployed during the R/V Bellows 19-24 May cruise in a joint effort between the OCG and Optical Oceanography Laboratory at the CMS-USF, FDEP, USCG, and FWC/FWRI. Three additional drifters were deployed during the R/V Weatherbird II 2-14 June cruise by the CMS-USF Ocean Circulation Group assisted by the Florida Institute of Technology (FIT). During the most recent R/V Weatherbird II cruise, 22-25 June, nine additional drifters were deployed in a joint effort by the OCG-CMS-USF, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and the Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC).
View a map of all currently active OCG and NEFSC drifters deployed in the Gulf of Mexico.
View a map of all currently active OCG and NAVO drifters deployed in the Gulf of Mexico.
