The Deep-C Mission

Mission duration: 2 months

The Deep-C's SailBuoy was launched on March 15, 2013 approximately 11 nautical miles (nm) south of Cape San Blas and was retrieved on the 15th of June, 2013. She was at sea for 2 months and acquired conductivity, temperature and oxygen data every hour for the whole period. Weather conditions were mostly light winds, occasionally stronger (30 knots).

The Deep-C consortium focuses on the geomorphologic, hydrologic, and biogeochemical settings that influence the distribution and fate of the oil and dispersants released during the Deepwater Horizon accident, and is using the resulting data for model studies that support improved responses to possible future incidents.

Read more about the mission at the Deep-C consortium webpage, the SailBuoy blog and see the buoy's cruise track in an interactive map.

Ocean surface temperature, salinity and oxygen concentration measurements in the Gulf of Mexico using the Sailbuoy