The Panulirus Hydrographic Stations (Hydrostation S): Years 70-74

Bermuda Institute Of Ocean Sciences (Bios), Inc., St. George'S

Investigators

Abstract

This project continues hydrographic observations at Hydrostation S, extending the time-series of ocean data to almost 70 years. Hydrostation S (formerly known as the Panulirus site), located about 25 km southeast of Bermuda in the North Atlantic Ocean, is one of the longest open-ocean hydrographic stations in the world. This program of repeat biweekly hydrographic observations began in 1954 and now, in its seventh decade, has proved to be the catalyst for numerous studies of ocean physics, biological processes and biogeochemistry. Sustained observations of the ocean, such as those from Hydrostation S, remain critically important to establish rates of change to provide quantitative empirical data for myriad regional and global ocean synthesis and modeling of ocean processes and future ocean change. Hydrostation S program and its data are considered as a service to the community, being openly distributed and subsequently have been an invaluable resource in understanding processes and patterns of variability in the ocean, as well as education, mentorship and outreach activities. The major objective of the proposal is to continue Hydrostation S into the eighth decade with numerous questions related to warming and cooling, salinification and freshening, deoxygenation and insights on biogeochemical changes over time. This program constitutes frequent water column sampling of temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen (and indirectly, sampling of important ocean carbon time–series) of the North Atlantic subtropical gyre at the Hydrostation S site. Such work is complementary to other sustained observations such as the Bermuda Atlantic Time–series Study (BATS) and Ocean Flux Program (OFP). The project entails a similar sampling format that has been followed for the past 68 years. Hydrostation S also supports the longest global ocean CO2 and acidification time-series (from 1983 to present). This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.