RRS James Clark Ross JR16001 - Atlantic Meridional Transect 26 (2016)

The overall aim of the Atlantic Meridional Transect programme is: to quantify key biogeochemical and ecosystem processes and their inherent variability over extended time and spatial scales in the Atlantic Ocean. This is achieved by executing an annually repeated meridional transect through contrasting oceanic provinces, ranging from oligotrophic deserts, to highly productive shelf seas.

The specific objectives of AMT are:

• To quantify the nature and causes of ecological and biogeochemical variability in planktonic ecosystems;
• To quantify the effects of this variability on nutrient cycling, on biogenic export and on air-sea exchange of climate active gases;
• To construct multi-decadal, multidisciplinary ocean time-series which are integrated within a wider "Pole-to-pole" observatory concept;
• To provide essential sea-truth validation for current and next generation satellite missions;
• To provide essential data for global ecosystem model development and validation;
• To provide a valuable, highly sought after and unique training arena for the next generation of UK and International oceanographers.