GO-BGC Array: Global Ocean Chemistry and Biology Sensor Network

The Global Ocean Biogeochemistry (GO-BGC) Array, funded by the US National Science Foundation (NSF Award 1946578), is building a global network of 500 robotic floats. This network collects data on ocean chemistry and biology from the surface to 2,000 meters depth, augmenting the existing Argo array. The project is led by Director Ken Johnson and administered by the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute.

Use Cases

• Monitoring ocean acidification based on chemical sensor data.
• Studying phytoplankton biomass and productivity based on biological and optical measurements.
• Modeling global carbon cycles based on time-series profiles of ocean chemistry.
• Assessing changes in ocean health based on long-term, global-scale sensor deployments.

Strengths

• Plans for a global-scale deployment of 500 sensor floats, providing extensive spatial coverage.
• Augments the established Argo array with chemical and biological parameters, adding new data dimensions.
• Explicitly funded project (NSF Award 1946578) with clear institutional leadership (MBARI).

Limitations

• Column names and specific data variables are not listed in the provided metadata.
• Data volume (size, row count) and temporal coverage are unspecified.
• License is ambiguously listed as 'other-license-specified' without details.

Provenance

Source

Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), funded by the US National Science Foundation.

Collection Method

Data collected by a planned global network of 500 robotic profiling floats.

Freshness

2026-04-10

Geography

Global ocean coverage.