A global array of robotic floats is transforming how we observe ocean health
Starting in 2014, the Southern Ocean Carbon and Climate Observations and Modeling (SOCCOM) program deployed a large array of robotic biogeochemical floats, based on the Argo design, carrying sensors to monitor the chemical and biological properties of the ocean. SOCCOM floats have operated for nearly six years in the remote, stormy, and often ice-covered Southern Ocean—arguably one of the harshest marine environments on Earth. These floats have already provided critical new information about how the Southern Ocean interacts with the Earth’s atmosphere and winter sea ice.
Now, the Global Ocean Biogeochemistry Array (GO-BGC Array) builds on SOCCOM's work with a 5-year project funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to build a global network of floats equipped with chemical and biological sensors to monitor ocean health. The project brings together researchers from MBARI, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of Washington, and Princeton University to build and deploy 500 robotic biogeochemical floats around the globe.
A single robotic float costs the same as two days at sea on a research ship. The floats can collect data autonomously for more than five years in remote areas and in all seasons, including during winter storms, when shipboard work is limited. This game-changing technology is transforming how oceanographers and climate scientists observe and understand our changing ocean. Data streaming from the float array becomes available in near-real-time and is made freely available to researchers, educators, and policymakers around the world. Sharing these data brings new opportunities to learn, collaborate, and inspire collective action for our changing ocean.
Learn more about GO-BGC: https://www.go-bgc.org/
Learn more about SOCCOM: https://soccom.princeton.edu/
Video producer: Madison Pobis
Senior producer: Susan von Thun
GO-BGC is supported by NSF Awards 1946578 and 2110258.