An ocean first: Underwater drone tracks carbon dioxide in Gulf of Alaska

Oceanographers Andrew McDonnell, left, and Claudine Hauri, middle, are pictured with engineer Joran Kemme after an underwater glider is pulled aboard the University of Alaska Fairbanks research vessel Nanuq from the Gulf of Alaska (Mark Thiessen/AP)

A glider believed to be the first configured with a large sensor to measure carbon dioxide levels in the ocean has just completed its first overnight mission.

Designed to dive 3,281 feet and roam remote parts of the ocean, the autonomous vehicle – five-feet long and bright pink – was deployed to the Gulf of Alaska to provide a deeper understanding of the ocean’s chemistry in the era of climate change.