1. science
2. biology
3. marine biology

Jennifer Riley1*, Stefan Gary2, Penny Holliday1, Brian King1 Richard Lampi?1, Elaine McDonagh1, David Mills3, Andy Rees4, John Siddorn5, Meric Srokosz1, Tim Smyth4, Jacky Wood1 1 NaNonal Oceanography Centre, UK (* [email protected]) 2 ScoWsh AssociaNon of Marine Science, 3 CEFAS, 4 Plymouth Marine Laboratory, 5 UK Met Office Introduc)on: Western Chanel Observatory RAPID (26.5°N) & OSNAP (sub-­‐polar gyre) FixO3 PAP, NOG & SOG pla]orms Extended Elle? Line FixO3 fixed pla]orms AtlanNc Meridonal Transect Science Programme FixO3 Sustained observaNons of the marine environment are required at both regional and global scales, to document seasonal cycles, extreme condiNons and idenNfy the causes of environmental change. Sustained observaNons are parNcularly important for disentangling natural decadal variability from anthropogenic changes. The informaNon from such sustained observaNons is vital for informing policy at both naNonal (e.g. Marine Protected Areas) and internaNonal level (e.g. Marine Strategy Framework DirecNve). We present case studies of UK marine science programmes, highlighNng their key achievements and outputs at naNonal, European and global scales. The Bri$sh Oceanographic Data Centre (BODC, www.bodc.ac.uk), is responsible for data stewardship of such UK marine research programmes, maximizing the data and informaNon usage across the widest possible network of scienNsts and stakeholders. Overview Key Achievements/Outputs The Fixed point Open Ocean Observatory network (FixO3) seeks to integrate European open ocean fixed point observatories providing mulNdisciplinary observaNons in all parts of the oceans from the air-­‐sea interface to the deep seafloor. The project seeks to improve access to these key installaNons for the broader community. Coordinated by the NaNonal Oceanography Centre, UK, FixO3 will build on the significant advances largely achieved through the FP7 programmes EuroSITES, ESONET and CARBOOCEAN. One of the FixO3 pla]orms is the Porcupine Abyssal Plain Sustained Observatory (PAP-­‐SO) for which the UK is responsible for maintaining & operaNng. Extended ElleD Line The PAP-­‐SO has provided >20 years of data invesNgaNng the effects of climate change on open ocean and deep-­‐sea ecosystems. In 2010 a collaboraNon between NERC and the Met Office led to the first atmospheric measurements at the site. Today, alongside atmospheric measurements data is collected for temperature*, salinity*, nitrate*, chlorophyll*, dissolved oxygen, CO2*, dissolved gasses*, radiance* and currents from 25m depth (* real Nme data). ParNcle fluxes and current data is also collected at 3km and 4.7km. Benthic imagery is also available. Results from the PAP-­‐SO have advised the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) & the European Commission (EC) on ocean governance, environmental management, deep sea biodiversity, Marine Protected Areas, geoengineering & observatory development. More info prj.noc.ac.uk/
ExtendedElle?Line Currently run jointly between NOC & SAMS the Extended Elle? Line began in 1948, using the regular passage of ships to the Ocean Weather StaNons of the North AtlanNc to collect ocean data invesNgaNng the dynamics & variability of the northward-­‐flowing warm saline water contribuNng to the AtlanNc Meridonal Overturning CirculaNon. Today UK scienNsts cross the ocean between Scotland & Iceland annually sampling every 30 km, examining how & why the currents, temperature & salinity have & are changing, & the impact of those changes on climate & ecosystems. www.fixo3.eu Extended Elle? Line data & research are used in climate assessments by the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC), DEFRA, InternaNonal Council for the ExploraNon of the Sea (ICES) & the OSPAR Commission. Using the data scienNsts have discovered periodic presence of the southward flowing Wyville Thomson Overflow Water on the western side of the basin, influening temperature & salinity at the depth of the permanent pycnocline (800-­‐1200m). Previous data suggested influence of such a flow was minimal. New data highlights the importance of accounNng for and measuring this episodic southward flow when calculaNng heat transport through Rockall Trough. RAPID-­‐AMOC RAPID-­‐AMOC (2014-­‐2018) monitors changes in the the AtlanNc Meridional Overturning CirculaNon (AMOC) to understand decadal climate variability & change in ocean circulaNon & the carbon sink. Data is collected from fixed moorings, Argo data as well as hydrographic surveys, the la?er building on observaNons made across standard secNons from decadal daNng back to the 1970’s. (Such hyrdographic surveys are now coordinated by the GO-­‐SHIP programme (www.go-­‐ship.org) and NOC sits on the execuNve coordinaNng commi?ee). Research in RAPID-­‐AMOC is carried out in close collaboraNon with other internaNonal programmes, in parNcular OSNAP & US-­‐AMOC. ARGO The internaNonal Argo project achieved a global network of 3000 acNvely profiling floats measuring temperature and salinity profiles between the surface and 3km depth in 2007. The UK Argo project, funded by DECC, NERC and the Met Office, has contributed to this achievement. The BriNsh Oceanographic Data Centre (BODC) handles the both the real Nme data generated by the UK Argo programme and the quality controlled, delayed mode data products used for climatological and hydrographic purposes. www.rapid.ac.uk/
index.php The AtlanNc RAPID array at 26°N has observed the AMOC conNnuously for 10 years. AMOC variability measured at 26°N observaNons show decreases in the strength of the AMOC in 2009-­‐10 and 2010-­‐11, both of which coincided with cold winters in Europe, suggesNng a previously unsuspected role for the AMOC in climate variability. Model predicNons from 2000 – 2100 suggest a slowdown of AMOC. However, scienNsts believe that there is a much richer variability masked by basin scale averaging of the RAPID data. This has led to development and implementaNon of the OSNAP (www.o-­‐snap.org), which aims to be?er understand and quanNfy the contribuNon of the sub-­‐polar gyres to AMOC. Future work at the RAPID array will also add sensors to constrain biogeochemical fluxes. On-­‐line Argo data is used for operaNonal purposes by the Met Office to issue a more confident forecast of ocean condiNons over the forthcoming season, thereby improving long term climatological and weather forecasNng services. Argo data is also used for research to be?er understand AtlanNc Meridonal Overturning CirculaNon (AMOC) by measuring freshwater and heat fluxes in the North AtlanNc. Dissolved oxygen sensors are also being developed for deployment on Argo, enhancing understanding of ocean biogeochemistry. The UK, has recently invested in 2 deep Argo floats, profiling to 6km depth, thereby enhancing the AMOC observaNonal capability in the North AtlanNc. www.argo.net/ Western Chanel Observatory The Western Channel Observatory (WCO) is an oceanographic Nme-­‐series and marine biodiversity reference site in the Western English Channel. Run jointly between the Marine Biological AssociaNon (MBA) and Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML), the WCO is funded through NERC NaNonal Capability. In situ measurements are undertaken weekly at coastal staNon L4 and fortnightly at open shelf staNon E1. The WCO contributes to a network of ~50 Nme series sites across the North AtlanNc and European shelf, coordinated by the ICES (InternaNonal Council for the ExploraNon of the Sea). Measurements undertaken at staNons across the WCO include (with ~ start date), real Nme data from 2 operaNonal moorings at staNons L4 and E1 (2009), zooplankton (1988), phytoplankton (1992), nutrients (1934), CTD profiles (1903), pigments including chlorophyll (1992), opNcs (~2000), CHN (2000). WCO scienNsts are acNvely involved with ICES, contribuNng to the Zooplankton and Phytoplankton Status Reports, which provide comparisons of the long-­‐term change in the plankton across the AtlanNc. WCO data is also used in the EU Interreg VALMER project which looks to be?er understand the carbon sequestraNon and its value as an ecosystem service. Atlan)c Meridonal Transect The AtlanNc Meridional Transect (AMT) is a long-­‐term mulNdisciplinary ocean observaNon programme which undertakes biological, chemical and physical oceanographic research during an annual voyage between the UK and desNnaNons in the South AtlanNc. The programme was established in 1995 and since then has included 23 research cruises involving 223 scienNsts from 18 countries. It provides a pla]orm for naNonal and internaNonal scienNfic collaboraNon, a training arena for the next generaNon of oceanographers and a facility for validaNon of novel technology. The long-­‐term nature of the data collected is useful in analysing trends over a wide Nme period which can help with forecasNng future outcomes. Some of the research applicaNons of AMT data include developing accurate satellite maps of primary producNvity, quanNfying the effects of excess CO2 in the oceans and its implicaNons for marine life, develop a conceptual model describing phytoplankton size structure changes in relaNon to chlorophyll concentraNon, improve understanding of methanol biogeochemistry, the evoluNon of open ocean zooplankton and the composiNon an abundance of mycosporine-­‐like amino acids. Summary: The work of many of these projects has and will conNnue to contribute to coordinated naNonal programmes, including Oceans 2025 (2007 -­‐ 2012), the Western Shelf Observatory (part of the wider European Marine Ecosystem Observatory) and UK Integrated Marine Observing Network (UKIMON), to providing connecNvity between shelf seas sampling and the AtlanNc Ocean. NaNonally the UK has a high capacity for making world class ocean observaNons and coordinaNng internaNonal scienNfic research programmes, fit to enhancer global knowledge and inform naNonal and internaNonal policy. www.westernchannel
observatory.org.uk www.amt-­‐uk.org/