Slocum glider completes four-year Atlantic circumnavigation
Teledyne Webb Research’s Silbo autonomous underwater glider completed a four-year, multi-leg circumnavigation of the Atlantic Ocean, returning to Cape Cod after operating as a long-duration science and engineering test platform.
Evidence notes
- Silbo launched from Cape Cod in spring 2016 and returned in late June 2020 after interacting with science teams in several countries.
- The vehicle carried an extended energy bay and thruster and collected scientific and engineering data across the voyage.
- Teledyne described the journey as the first Atlantic circumnavigation completed by an autonomous underwater vehicle.
Company context
Teledyne Webb Research develops autonomous ocean instruments including Slocum underwater gliders, profiling floats and drifting platforms. Its North Falmouth operation supports persistent scientific, environmental and defence data collection in coastal and deep-ocean missions.