The Atlantic Meridional Transect: An oceanographic research programme to investigate physical, chemical, biological and optical variables of the Atlantic Ocean

Oceanographers from the Plymouth Marine Laboratory, together with colleagues from the Southampton Oceanography Centre, University of Plymouth, University of Oviedo (Spain), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA, USA) and Brookhaven National Laboratory (USA) have started a programme of research which consists of a series of transects of the Atlantic Ocean between the United Kingdom and Falkland Islands. The primary aim of the research is to measure physical, chemical. biological and optical variables in the upper 200 m of the water column along the 12 000 km transect in order to characterise the Atlantic Ocean over broad spacial scales. This will help further the understanding of the role of the world's oceans in carbon cycles and provide valuable information for the calibration and validation of satellite remote sensing (i.e. for ocean colour and surface temperature) of the oceans. The use of 'ships of opportunity' is essential to carry out broad scale research, and the development and use of new technology is an important part of this process. This report reviews the key issues and the relevance of such research and also highlights the new generation of technology that is required to work at these broad spatial scales. The data presented here are generated at sea in 'real' or 'near real' time and they define the areas of greatest plankton abundance and productivity, as well as regions of hydrographic contrast. In turn this will allow a more focused and targeted strategy for intensive sampling and analyses. The role of the oceans in interacting with atmospheric carbon dioxide (one of the so-called greenhouse gases) is also discussed.