Ocean Time Series Research Near Bermuda: The Hydrostation S Time Series and the Bermuda Atlantic Time-Series Study (BATS) Program

Abstract

Long-term time series observations are a powerful tool for investigating biogeochemical processes in the ocean. Oceanic ecosystems are variable on a wide range of time and space scales (Dickey 1991). This variability arises from a combination of physical and biological processes and has important consequences for the measurement and interpretation of the upper ocean carbon cycle. The seasonal cycle of ocean mixing and phytoplankton primary production are the most obvious temporal patterns. Interannual variations in the seasonal cycle provide natural experiments on the relationship between the physical forcings and the biological response. Maintaining a high-quality oceanic time series study with consistent data quality over many decades is a scientific and logistical challenge. The ocean near Bermuda is unique in terms of the diversity and duration of the ocean and atmospheric time series that have been successfully maintained over decadal time scales.