3 moorings in the North Atlantic - Porcupine Abyssal Plain (PAP) Canary Islands (ESTOC) Central Irminger Sea (CIS)

Dissolved oxygen parameters in the water column; Raw fluorometer output; Salinity of the water column; Horizontal velocity of the water column (currents); Dissolved concentration parameters for other gases in the water column; Total dissolved inorganic carbon (TCO2) concentration in the water column; Transmittance and attenuance of the water column; Temperature of the water column; Vertical velocity of the water column (currents)

Fluorometers; current meters; salinity sensor; transmissometers; CTD

The 3 deep ocean Mooring sites: CIS , ESTOC, and PAP have collected data since 2002 under the ANIMATE banner. ESTOC has been collecting data since 1994. Having proved the original ANIMATE mooring concept the further funding will enable the systems to be enhanced and refined to provide a set of long term time-series data to be included in efforts to model future climate change. The project started in 2002 and has the following aims:- 1. Develop a European carbon cycle time-series infrastructure at 3 key sites in the north east Atlantic. These will be networked within a larger-scale ocean carbon observing system, providing critical input to studies on climate change and in particular the role of Carbon Dioxide (CO2). 2. Provide a focus for European ship-based and moored repeat measurements in the 3 target areas. 3. Make maximum usage of existing infrastructure, instrumentation, hardware and expertise from different European groups, and share/transfer the existing and new elements of the system for joint implementation and operation. 4. Implement real-time telemetry of subsets of the prime data to be collected, for immediate dissemination to the general public using the internet. 5. Extend to the wider community the use of the data obtained and the mooring infrastructure. 6. Interface with the the global carbon cycle observing system. Funded by the EU in 2002-2004 as the 5th framework project EVR1-CT-2001-40014 now funded in part by EU-funded projects Mersea IP and Carbo-Ocean

National Oceanography Centre (Southampton)
University of Southampton Waterfront Campus European Way
Southampton
Hampshire
SO14 3ZH
United Kingdom