The final NAB08 cruise on the R/V Bjarni Saemundsson departed Reykjavik the morning of 25 June with Mary Jane Perry as Chief Scientist and Keith Van Thiel as the glider ‘guy’, Kristinn Gundmundsson for primary productivity measurements, Katja Fennel (now a sea-going modeler) and Lindsay Dinsmore for water sampling. Very unlike the deployment cruise in early April, this trip sailed on relatively smooth seas.

Over two months into the experiment, and three gliders continue operating out of the initial 6 platforms. The Bjarni Saemundsson rescued one float and one glider. The remaining gliders will continue executing a fixed repeat pattern through June.

After 50 days operating, the second float and one glider have malfunctioned, leaving three operating gliders. The Knorr finished a successful cruise this week and discharged the science crew in Iceland.

A rescue cruise on the Bjarni Saemundsson is being organized for the errant platforms. For approximately the next month, we will operate the gliders alone in a coordinated pattern. They will be recovered in July on a final Saemundsson cruise.

As of May 17, 2008 the North Atlantic Bloom experiment is fully operational and gathering fascinating data.

Two floats, 4 gliders and the R.V. Knorr are operating together to map the three-dimensional structures of ocean physics, biology and chemistry. More detailed measurements are being made from the Knorr.

Such glory is fleeting. As of May 18, there is only one float operating, but this should be sufficient to continue.

Not much new to report. The Knorr folks must be very busy, but I have few details. The ship completed a large survey a few days ago and is now doing important things.

Floats and gliders continue to operate well. The glider pilots continue to increase in skill and the gliders are now operating consistently close enough to the floats that we can begin to map the variability.

The float is getting closer to Iceland. This was not anticipated in drift climatologies. At worst, we may drift into Denmark Strait, which is not so bad.

At the present time, one float is tracking the mixing layer and the bloom that is occurring within it. Four gliders and the Knorr are surveying around it. The Knorr is beginning more detailed studies of biology and chemistry of the bloom.

We are pleased and a bit surprised that three weeks since vehicle deployment the experiment is operational and the ocean is blooming. One float is profiling to 200m on a daily basis and four gliders are surveying around it. The Knorr scientists are gathering in Reykjavík and will begin their cruise next week.

We are slowly bringing the float and glider sensors into calibration based on the early April data. This will continue with the Knorr cruise. We should have some maps comparing the satellite images with in situ data soon.

The spring bloom appears to have begun. Despite the significant variabilility in pre-bloom conditions, all 4 gliders and the working float show higher chlorophyll, oxygen, scattering and attenuation in the upper ocean. More details are posted on the web site.

Eighteen days after vehicle deployment, one float has died, but will probably be rescued and revived in a few weeks on the Knorr. The other float is fine. Four seagliders are working well, but are having trouble staying close to the floats due to strong and variable currents.

Two weeks after the vehicle deployment, one float has died, but will probably be rescued and revived in a few weeks on the Knorr. The other float is fine. Four seagliders are working well, but are having trouble staying close to the floats due to strong and variable currents.