U.S. Virgin Islands, July 08, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — A robotic ocean float is now drifting through the waters south of St. Thomas, collecting the first biogeochemical water column data ever recorded in U.S. Virgin Islands offshore waters. The deployment, carried out in collaboration with NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) and the University of Miami’s Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies, marks a significant milestone for ocean science in the Eastern Caribbean and a major step forward for the Virgin Islands Center for Autonomous Research (VICAR), a program of VI-EPSCoR at the University of the Virgin Islands.
The BGC-Argo float was deployed approximately eight miles offshore at Grammanik Bank during a field excursion held as part of NOAA’s Caribbean Annual Partners Meeting in June 2026. The float is equipped with a suite of biogeochemical sensors capable of measuring temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH, chlorophyll-a and nitrate.
Once released, the float descends to nearly 2,000 meters — roughly 1.2 miles deep — collects data as it rises through the water column, surfaces to transmit readings via satellite, and repeats the process continuously. Designed to operate over five years, profiling on a 10-day frequency, the float will generate hundreds of profiles of the waters surrounding the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI).
“UVI was pleased to be able to support the NOAA-AOML’s Biogeochemical-Argo Float launch. This float will be collecting data throughout the Caribbean for years, contributing to studies ranging from fisheries to hurricane forecasting. Just after the deployment, the floats delivered profiles of environmental parameters including oxygen, pH, chlorophyll, and nitrate in waters adjacent to the Grammanik Bank Mesophotic Coral Ecosystem, providing unique information that UVI will use for further research in this area,” said Doug Wilson, director of the UVI Ocean Glider Laboratory.
Until now, the U.S. Caribbean had only two AOML Biogeochemical-Argo floats in operation, both deployed off Puerto Rico in 2025. The addition of these measurements in U.S. Virgin Islands waters fills a long-standing data gap. Offshore ocean conditions (including temperature, chemistry, and circulation patterns) directly influence the health of coral reefs, fish populations and coastal ecosystems. The data collected by these floats will also feed into broader operational systems, including hurricane forecasting models used by the National Weather Service, and are publicly available.
The timing of the deployment is particularly significant. With an El Niño event now developing, the floats will capture a continuous record of how ocean conditions in the Eastern Caribbean evolve over the coming months and years. These data could prove critical for understanding and anticipating future coral bleaching events.
The Biogeochemical-Argo float deployment aligns directly with VICAR’s open ocean observation mission, which uses autonomous technology, including ocean gliders operated by UVI’s Ocean Glider Lab, to study the offshore waters that surround and shape coastal ecosystems across the USVI. By combining float data with glider surveys, acoustic monitoring, and reef and mangrove research, VICAR is building one of the most comprehensive ocean monitoring networks the territory has ever had.
The float carries a personal touch as well: before deployment, community members and researchers gathered to sign each instrument – a tradition that reflects both the collaborative spirit of the project and the significance of sending something into the deep with a connection to the people and place it will serve.
About VICAR
The Virgin Islands Center for Autonomous Research (VICAR) is a $7 million NSF EPSCoR initiative led by the University of the Virgin Islands. VICAR advances ecological monitoring and restoration through autonomous technologies including ocean gliders, underwater robots, and AI-powered data systems, while building a locally trained STEM workforce in the U.S. Virgin Islands. VICAR is part of VI-EPSCoR, funded by the National Science Foundation’s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). Learn more at www.viepscor.org.
- BGC-Argo floats
- UVI’s Ocean Glider Lab