Explore the groundbreaking SQUID (Sampling QUantitative Internal-wave Distributions) observational program in this comprehensive colloquium talk. Delve into the critical role of internal waves in oceanic diffusive mixing and their impact on heat and carbon dioxide penetration, as well as the meridional overturning circulation. Discover how SQUID aims to enhance the characterization of internal wave climates through global deployments of autonomous profiling floats. Learn about the innovative burst-sampling approach used to differentiate internal waves from low-frequency motions. Gain insights into the compilation and sharing of past datasets from velocity profiling floats, and understand how these observational results are being translated into model validation metrics and subgrid-scale mixing parameterizations as part of the NOPP Global Internal Waves initiative.