Publication of Special Edition of "Limnology and Oceanography"

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Recent advances in autonomous and Lagrangian platforms and sensors (ALPS) have been applied to physical, chemical and biological studies on a wide range of scales. This class of instruments facilitates sampling at relevant temporal and spatial scales while providing the continuous presence needed to capture multiple realizations of episodic events and characterize longer-term seasonal and inter-annual changes. Profiling floats, autonomous underwater vehicles, including gliders and drifters, offer a combination of high-resolution spatial coverage, vertical sampling through the water column and extended (days to years) deployments that cannot be easily achieved with other technologies. Novel applications of these new observational capabilities exploit the combination of spatial coverage and continuous presence to advance our understanding of physical, chemical and biological processes. As ALPS technologies mature they have transitioned from specialized engineering/science teams to mainstream applications supporting the larger scientific community. Results from early science missions are now becoming available, making this an excellent time to review how ALPS technologies have been applied to address compelling science questions and present advances in understanding that have resulted from these programs. As a result of this reward, Dr. Moline and colleagues are responsible for producing a special issue of Limnology and Oceanography, entitled "Scientific Results from Autonomous and Lagrangian Platforms and Sensors" as a means to increase awareness of the progress being made in autonomous systems to the broader scientific and management communities, demonstrate accessibility of these systems for scientific study, and, most importantly, highlight the scientific discovery that is enabled by these developing systems.