Ocean Race VO65 Yacht: Surface Carbon and Chlorophyll Measurements

From May 26 to September 25, 2019, surface underway data was collected by the AkzoNobel team's Volvo Ocean 65 yacht during the Ocean Race European Tour. The dataset includes measurements of carbon dioxide partial pressure, pH, salinity, temperature, and chlorophyll-a across the North Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, Strait of Gibraltar, Baltic Sea, and North Sea. Instruments used include a carbon dioxide gas analyzer and a shower head chamber equilibrator.

Use Cases

• Tracking ocean acidification trends based on pH and carbon dioxide partial pressure measurements.
• Modeling carbon flux between ocean and atmosphere using surface pCO2/fCO2 data.
• Assessing phytoplankton biomass distribution via chlorophyll-a concentrations.
• Correlating sea surface temperature and salinity with carbon chemistry parameters.

Strengths

• Data covers a specific, well-documented event (The Ocean Race European Tour) over a four-month period.
• Includes multiple key oceanographic variables (pCO2, pH, salinity, temperature, chlorophyll-a) collected simultaneously.
• Cross-platform presence (NASA Earthdata, Data.gov) suggests validation and broad accessibility.

Limitations

• Column names and exact data structure are unknown, complicating direct analysis.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates (2026-03-05 vs. 2019-09-25) create uncertainty about metadata freshness.
• Dataset size, row count, and licensing information are not provided by any source.

Provenance

Source

NOAA NCEI (National Centers for Environmental Information)

Collection Method

Surface underway measurements from a Ship of Opportunity Program (SOOP) vessel, the VO65 yacht.

Time Range

2019-05-26 to 2019-09-25

Freshness

2026-03-05 23:36:58.602975

Geography

North Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, Strait of Gibraltar, Baltic Sea, North Sea