A scientist appealed to Bermuda’s mariners for help yesterday to find a $120,000 glider lost in the ocean, so he can continue important research.Breck Owens and a team from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Center in Massachusetts had to give up hunting for their missing equipment and return home on Tuesday.They had been using the unmanned underwater vehicle in a test deployment last week when they lost touch with it, due to a suspected problem with its on-board communication system.The six-foot-long craft was spotted by fishermen at Challenger Banks on Sunday.Fearing it could be dangerous, they did not pluck it out of the water but instead alerted Bermuda Maritime Operations Centre, who in turn alerted police and the US Coast Guard.The craft could not be found, despite the scientists searching the ocean from Challenger Banks, which is 15 miles off Gibbs Hill Lighthouse on the South Shore, to Chub Head, which is 3.5 miles west off the west end.The Maritime Operations Centre continued yesterday to appeal to mariners to report any sightings of the missing craft.Meanwhile, Dr Owens told The Royal Gazette: “The glider and the instrumentation that it is carrying are worth roughly $120,000. This was the first deployment with a new sensor that would have allowed us to estimate the strength of mixing in the ocean.“The distribution of mixing in the ocean is something that we still do not know very well.“We know that the wind and surface heating drive ocean circulation, but it is also important to know how that energy is taken out of the system.“Since this glider failed and we don’t know what went wrong, we will have to find a way to redo this test. This means that it would be very useful to get the glider back so that we can figure out what went wrong.”Dr Owens went on to explain: “My research involves understanding the large-scale currents and the distribution of heat and salt. In particular, I am interested in how this is changing due to global change.”He said of the missing glider: “If someone sees it and can retrieve it that would be terrific. It would really help us if the glider is found.“As long as they do not open it up, it is harmless. It has lithium batteries which means that it is best opened by an expert in case water has leaked into the hull.”Anyone who spots the piece of equipment should contact the Maritime Operations Centre on 297-1010 or via VHF radio channel 16.