How a cargo ship is quietly helping unlock the secrets of ocean life

With funding support from CMA CGM, ocean observations aboard Bermuda Container Line's M/V Oleander now include a window into microscopic life

Read the full article on WHOI Oceanus

A recent article highlights how the M/V Oleander, operated and owned by Bermuda Container Line, is doing more than transporting goods between New Jersey and Bermuda. It is also acting as a long-running scientific observatory for the Atlantic Ocean.

With support from partners including shipping company CMA CGM and researchers including Heidi Sosik, Magdalena Andres, Emily Peacock from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Tim Noyes from ASU Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences, scientists are using advanced instruments onboard the ship to study microscopic ocean life in real time.

One of the most fascinating additions is a “robotic microscope” that captures thousands of images of phytoplankton during each crossing, helping researchers understand how these tiny organisms shape ocean health, carbon cycling, and global climate systems.

It is a powerful example of how commercial shipping routes can double as vital scientific platforms, turning everyday voyages into long-term climate and biodiversity monitoring systems.

Learn more about the Oleander project: https://bios.asu.edu/oleander