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Yellow submarine: Unmanned sub studies ocean

WASHINGTON - Far out in the Atlantic, a little yellow submarine is trying to slip from current to current, gliding across the ocean beneath the waves.

The unmanned sub is nearing the halfway mark in its effort to travel from New Jersey to Spain, collecting scientific data along the way.

It isn’t a first trip for the device, but it will be the longest, a proving effort to show that an undersea glider can take its place in a global ocean observing system.

“The big advantage is, it’s totally unmanned,” explained Conrad Lautenbacher, head of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a sponsor of the sub developed and operated by Rutgers University. “It’s very efficient and can be used to obtain the same kind of data we gather from ships.”

“It can be done totally remotely,” added Lautenbacher. “It can be controlled from a rec room in Ohio if necessary.”