Researchers at e University o Glesga will heid a new project worth £1.3m aat aims tae bigg a wab o unnerwatter sensors for tae haud watch on oor waarmin seas. E wark is pairt o ARIA’s Forecastin Tippin Pynts programme, fit offers a total o £81m ower five year tae grasp early signs o climate shifts.

At e forefront o iss endeavor is Professor Martin Lavery o the James Watt School o Engineerin. He teams up wi Dr David McKee o the University o Strathclyde an Professor Mark Inall o the Scottish Association for Marine Science. Thegither, they are set tae craft e Optical Reconnaissance an Communication Antenna (ORCA). Iss fresh sensory tool eeses biggit-up licht for tae peer intil e deep an sends signals in a cable-free wey atween independent sensor groups. In concert wi satellite imagin, a fleet o ORCAs will roam e seas an chairt features sic as currents, layers o temperature, floatin sediment, an saut levels. Their wark maps e spreid an chynge in e ocean in baith space an time.

E project sikks tae equip oor leaders wi the facts needed tae face the challenge o climate chynge heid on. Wi major pairts o the Yird system at risk o raxin dangerous turnin pynts, e sensor netwark is a key stap tae an early warnin system for shifts in e warld’s naitural systems. ARIA, a research an development agency set up by an Act o Pairlament an backed by the Department for Science, Innovation an Technology, funds teams tae wark on fit is kent tae be the edge o baith science an craft.

Professor Lavery said: “We are excited tae be selected tae contribute tae the ambitious Forecastin Tippin Pynts programme, aat his e potential tae drive a stap chynge in wir unnerstaundin o the environmental chynges aat are expected tae occur ower e coming years an decades. Throu engagin wi the diverse array o creators, we howp wir new sensin technology can play a significant role in improvin wir early warnin systems for major disruptions tae the ocean currents an can help e UK an warld prepare for an uncertain future.”

This venture staunds as e latest link in e University o Glesga’s growin bond wi ARIA. E institution’s past ties include the appyntment o Professor Mark Symes as een o ARIA’s foondin Programme Directors in 2023, as weel as e unveilin o the £4m NEUROBOT project led by Professor Hadi Heidari earlier iss year.

E sensor netwark project forms ae pairt o a lairger push for tae lairn mair aboot Yird’s vital signs. It is a drive tae airm leaders wi the keen sicht needed for swift an soond climate adjustment an tae grasp e shifts aat lie aheid.