Underwater gliders are autonomous underwater vehicles that profile vertically by changing
their buoyancy and use wings to move horizontally. Gliders are useful for sustained
observation at relatively fine horizontal scales, especially to connect the coastal and open
ocean. In this review, research topics are grouped by time and length scales. Large-scale
topics addressed include the eastern and western boundary currents and the regional
effects of climate variability. The accessibility of horizontal length scales of order 1 km allows …