Eastern Atlantic, North-Eastern Atlantic and Southern North Sea

Concentration of alkanes in the atmosphere; Concentration of nitrogen species in the atmosphere; Carbon monoxide and dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere; Horizontal spatial co-ordinates; Ammonium and ammonia concentration parameters in water bodies; Bacteria taxonomic abundance in water bodies; Bacteria generic abundance in water bodies; Bird taxonomy-related abundance per unit area of surface; Air pressure; Air temperature; Atmospheric humidity; Chlorophyll pigment concentrations in water bodies; Other halocarbon concentrations in water bodies; Organosulphur and organoselenium species concentration parameters in water bodies; Dissolved organic carbon uptake and production in the water column; Dissolved oxygen parameters in the water column; Wind strength and direction; Raw fluorometer output; Habitat characterisation; Vertical velocity of the water column (currents); Microzooplankton generic abundance in water bodies; Particulate total and organic nitrogen concentrations in the water column; Nitrate concentration parameters in the water column; Concentration of other hydrocarbons in the water column; Optical backscatter; Phytoplankton taxonomic abundance in water bodies; Partial pressure (pCO2) and fugacity (fCO2) of carbon dioxide in the water column; Phosphate concentration parameters in the water column; Uptake of other nutrients in the water column; Primary production in the water column; Salinity of the water column; Horizontal velocity of the water column (currents); Dissolved concentration parameters for other gases in the water column; Bacterial production in the water column; Phaeopigment concentrations in the water column; Concentration of suspended particulate material in the water column; Nitrite concentration parameters in the water column; Regenerated production in water bodies; Concentration of inorganic sulphur species in the water column; Organic sulphur compound dynamics in the water column; Concentration of inorganic halogens in water bodies; Visible waveband radiance and irradiance measurements in the atmosphere; Transmittance and attenuance of the water column; New production in water bodies; Cetacean abundance; Silicate concentration parameters in the water column; Microzooplankton taxonomic abundance in water bodies; Carotenoid and flavenoid pigment concentrations in water bodies; Temperature of the water column

Anemometers; meteorological packages; fluorometers; satellite tracking system; radiometers; optical backscatter sensors; bathythermographs; thermosalinographs; nutrient analysers; discrete water samplers; centrifuges; observers; gas chromatographs; high performance liquid chromatographs; gas chromatograph mass spectrometers; liquid scintillation counters; bench particle sizers; CTD undulators; transmissometers; aerosol samplers; CTD; water body temperature sensor; current profilers; precipitation samplers; dissolved gas sensors; shipboard incubators; discrete air samplers

The dataset comprises a wide range of physical and biogeochemical oceanographic and atmospheric parameters, plus additional biological measurements and observations. Hydrographic parameters include temperature, salinity, current velocities, fluorescence and attenuance, while biogeochemical and biological analyses of water samples provided measurements of dissolved gases, hydrocarbons, sulphur species, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), halocarbons, nutrients, pigments, bacteria, phytoplankton and zooplankton. Bird identification and cetacean abundance studies were also undertaken, as were tracer release experiments using both inert chemical (sulphur hexafluoride, SF6) and bacterial (Bacillus globigii) tracers. Meteorological data were also collected, including concentrations of various chemicals, supplemented by standard measurements of air temperature, pressure, irradiance, humidity and wind velocities. The data were collected in the North Atlantic Ocean and North Sea between 1996 and 1998, as follows: Eastern Atlantic off the coast of Ireland (June-July 1996 and May 1997); southern North Sea (October-November 1996); and North Eastern Atlantic between the UK and Iceland (June-July 1998). The data were collected during four cruises (RRS Challenger CH127, CH129, CH133 and RRS Discovery D234) using a variety of equipment, including instrumentation deployed at sampling stations (e.g. conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) profilers) and underway sensors that ran throughout each cruise, yielding continuous measurements of both hydrographic and meteorological parameters. Discrete air and water samplers were also used to measure atmospheric and hydrographic parameters throughout each cruise. The data collection periods were associated with individual ACOSE air-sea exchange experiments: two Eastern Atlantic Experiments (EAE96 and EAE97); ASGAMAGE in the southern North Sea; and the North Atlantic Experiment, NAE. ACSOE was a 5-year UK NERC Thematic Research Programme investigating the chemistry of the lower atmosphere (0 - 12 km) over the oceans. The Marine Aerosol and Gas Exchange (MAGE) study group was the only component of the ACSOE Project that included measurements in the marine environment. ACSOE data management was a shared responsibility between the British Atmospheric Data Centre (BADC) and the British Oceanographic Data Centre (BODC). BODC handled the management of ship data as well as all other data collected in the water column during the ACSOE/MAGE cruises. BODC assisted in the onboard collection and subsequent working up of ship data, and assembled all marine data in BODC's relational database carrying out quality control and data processing as required. ACSOE was led by Prof. Stuart Penkett of the University of East Anglia and cruise principle scientists included representatives of the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, and the University of East Anglia.

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