Spreading the Word About Tudor Hill

The 2019 Aquatic Sciences Meeting of the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO) took place February 24 to March 1 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. This biennial scientific conference brings together scientists, students, and policy-makers from around the world to present research on a variety of themes relating to aquatic sciences, including remote sensing, aquatic biodiversity, climate change, carbon cycling, and transitioning scientific research into meaningful applications.

Like many international conferences, the Aquatic Sciences Meeting also included a large exhibit area for commercial, non-profit, and government exhibitors to share information about their programs and products. This year, BIOS research technician Matt Hayden staffed a booth for three days to share information about BIOS, its education programs, and the Tudor Hill Marine Atmospheric Observatory.

Tudor Hill is one of a few marine atmospheric observatories that exist worldwide with the ability to make year-round, complex measurements of the atmosphere over the ocean without the use of a research ship or buoy mooring. The facility, which comprises a 75-foot (23-meter) high atmospheric sampling tower as well as traditional laboratories, gathers a number of routine, long-term measurements, including meteorological data (such as wind speed, direction, and temperature), airborne particulate sampling, and rainwater sampling. These measurements are made freely available to scientists around the world who then use the data for investigations into a variety of ocean-atmosphere interactions.

“It was definitely a worthwhile trip,” Hayden said. “We were able to make some contacts for future collaborations using the Tudor Hill observatory.”