Expedition Logs

The Global Ocean Biogeochemistry (GO-BGC) Array is a project funded by the US National Science Foundation to build a global network of chemical and biological sensors that will monitor ocean health. This new network of floats will collect data on the chemistry and the biology of the ocean from the surface to a depth of 2,000 meters, augmenting the existing Argo array that monitors ocean temperature and salinity. Data streaming from the float array will be made freely available within a day of being collected via the Argo data system, and will be used by researchers around the world. These data will allow scientists to pursue fundamental questions concerning ocean ecosystems, observe ocean health and productivity, and monitor the elemental cycles of carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen in the ocean through all seasons of the year. Such essential data are needed to improve computer models of ocean fisheries and climate, and to monitor and forecast the effects of ocean warming and ocean acidification on sea life. Additional BGC floats are deployed in the Southern Ocean as part of the Southern Ocean Carbon and Climate Observations and Modeling (SOCCOM) project and both SOCCOM floats and GO-BGC floats are available for adoption via an Adopt-A-Float program. We urge any interested groups to contact George I. Matsumoto (mage@mbari.org) if you have any questions about either the GO-BGC or SOCCOM projects, the Adopt-A-Float program, or the blogs.