Funds are requested to support the continued Oceanographic Technical Services Program for the UNOLS registered R/V Atlantic Explorer in 2009, with out year requests for 2010 and 2011 to be negotiated after submittal of an annual report. The RV Atlantic Explorer is a general-purpose research ship owned and operated by the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS), a Bermuda-based United States registered, 501c, not-for-profit oceanographic research and education institution. The budget included with this proposal is for the first year of a 3-year continuing grant.
I. Project Activities and Findings: a) Research Operational funding for R/V Atlantic Explorer Oceanographic Technical Services has supported scientific research, marine education and technology development that improve scientific knowledge of societal relevant environmental issues. Technical services provided include: Communication and Coordination: Pre-cruise Planning Maintenance, Repair, Storage and Calibration of shared use instrumentation and equipment Hardware and Software Development: Ongoing improvements of vessel capabilities and recurrent training for technicians Data Archiving: Back up of all data and submission of data through Rolling Deck to Depository (R2R) Program which makes all data available to scientists worldwide Cruise Mobilization and De-mobilization Logistics At Sea: Science Equipment Deployments, Instrumentation Support, Computer and Network Maintenance, Navigation and Communications Equipment Support Many of the major research projects that use the R/V Atlantic Explorer are oceanographic time-series efforts (www.bios.edu/research/time_series.html). For example, the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study (BATS) is an oceanographic time-series project funded by NSF. The BATS program, begun in 1988, is now in its 24th year and focuses on low frequency variability of the ocean (www.bios.edu/research/bats.html) over annual to decadal timescales. This is a truly unique program and our understanding of the Sargasso Sea ecosystem is continually improving due to this research. Time-series measurements are a major focus of U.S. and international ocean science research plans and ocean-observing networks supported by NSF. The Hydrostation "S" sampling program has been conducted at roughly biweekly intervals for the past 55 years (www.bios.edu/research/hydrostation.html). This is the longest continuously running ocean time-series program in the world. This long-term record has proved to be immensely valuable, showing a clear increase in sub-surface temperatures of nearly 1°C over the past half century. Vertical profiles of temperature, salinity and oxygen are available for the entire period; the data from the first 30 years are available at the BIOS website (www.bios.edu). Another important time series program in the waters near Bermuda is the Ocean Flux Program, which measures the sinking flux of particles at several depths below 500 m, has been ongoing for three decades (http://ecosystems.mbl.edu/conte/ofp/). In 2010, several moorings as part of the Dr. Ruth Curry (WHOI) program to study Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) were deployed from the R/V Atlantic Explorer and recovered during 2012. The ship is an ideal platform for conducting mooring operations and is strategically located for supporting mooring work throughout the central Atlantic region. These major time-series programs have spawned numerous ancillary research projects and process-oriented studies in the past and this number looks to grow substantially in the future. This has increased the increased the importance of excellent Marine Technical Services Support. b) Education The R/V Atlantic Explorer operations are important contributors to education, training and public outreach. Given the proximity of Hydrostation "S" and BATS to Bermuda, these cruises serve an important educational role in training future generations of potential oceanographers. At a time when fewer and fewer new scientists are going to sea, the importance of recruiting these new scientists and providing sea-going training experience is critical. The R/V Atlantic Explorer also contains the only classroom in the UNOLS fleet that has been designed primarily for undergraduate education. II. Justification and Cost NSF Award OCE-0936341 in the amount of $1,068,054 (cumulative amount) has supported the day to day Oceanographic Technical Services Program of the R/V Atlantic Explorer. The R/V Atlantic Explorer is a 170ft, 861 Gross Ton general-purpose oceanographic research ship owned and operated by the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS), a Bermuda-based United States registered, 501c, not-for-profit oceanographic research and education institution. BIOS is a vessel operating member of the University National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS see: www.unols.org). The award period was 01 October 2009 to 30 September 2012. Three nationally and internationally important oceanographic time-series programs were supported by R/V Atlantic Explorer operations, including: (1) Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (JGOFS) Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study (BATS) research program begun in 1988; (2) Hydrostation S begun in 1954; (3) Ocean Flux Program (OFP) begun in 1978. In addition, several other NSF funded research projects have been supported which utilize time series data or take advantage of easy access to the deep ocean off Bermuda. III. Broader Impacts: The mission of the ship is to support funded science research. The principal impact of this award is providing technical services support for scientists to use the vessel in support of their NSF-funded oceanographic research projects (which individually undergo separate review by the relevant research program of NSF). The R/V Atlantic Explorer operations are important contributors to education, training and public outreach. Many undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate students have received training or conducted their research using the R/V Atlantic Explorer. The R/V Atlantic Explorer operations also support the development of new technologies, instrumentation and in situ sensors that continue to be tested, calibrated and proven through long term use at sea.
