Sustained Observations
The waters offshore Bermuda are at the crossroads of major ocean currents originating from as far away as the Arctic and Antarctic Oceans. Long-term measurements are required to understand the complex interconnected ocean system and the role the ocean plays in sustaining life and modulating Earth’s climate.
- Established in 1954, Hydrostation 'S' is the longest-running data set of its kind in the world, acquiring measurements of the ocean’s physical properties every two weeks.
- The Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study (BATS) has collected data on the physical, biological and chemical properties of the ocean every month since 1988.
- The Oleander Project is a novel partnership that leverages the container ship Oleander as a "volunteer observing ship" to collect oceanographic data during its weekly travel between Bermuda and New Jersey.
- The Mid-Atlantic Glider Initiative and Collaboration (MAGIC) was established in 2014 and currently has three gliders in its fleet, capable of acquiring continuous measurements of the ocean using high-resolution surveys to depths of 1000 meters for months at a time.
Ocean currents—large and small, fast and slow, shallow and deep—transport water within and across the world ocean in an ever-changing fashion. Long-term and detailed measurements are needed to capture all of the action and decipher the complex dynamics involved in the ocean’s physical movement.
Life and climate are inextricably linked on Earth through various interacting cycles and feedback loops. Because these cycles involve biological, geological, and chemical processes, scientists refer to them as “biogeochemical cycles.” The carbon cycle is a particular focus for many research studies.
BIOS’s long-running ocean measurement programs—the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study (BATS) and the Oceanic Flux Program (OFP)—are valued assets within the oceanographic research community. They have enabled seminal advancements in marine biogeochemistry. Hundreds of studies, carried out by collaborating scientists from every continent, have utilized these data to document climate changes.
The Marine Biogeochemistry Laboratory supports the BATS program and several other biogeochemistry initiatives throughout the world.
In addition, researchers are:
- Conducting long-term studies on the effect of light on the structure of biological communities and the ocean’s biogeochemistry via the Bermuda Bio-Optics Project.
- Utilizing robotic vehicles to measure and assess the contribution of small-scale processes to the ocean’s biological productivity and its biogeochemical cycles via the Mid-Atlantic Glider Initiative and Collaboration (MAGIC).
- Investigating the links between the ocean’s changing biogeochemistry and marine life such as phytoplankton, zooplankton and other small marine animals, and Bermuda’s coral reefs.