Project: The Atlantic Meridional Transect (AMT) programme

Excerpt from the AMT project website (www.amt-uk.org):
The AMT programme undertakes biological, chemical and physical oceanographic research during the annual return passage of the RRS James Clark Ross between the UK and the Falkland Islands or the RRS Discovery between the UK and Cape Town, a distance of up to 13,500 km. This transect crosses a range of ecosystems from sub-polar to tropical and from euphotic shelf seas and upwelling systems to oligotrophic mid-ocean gyres.

NERC Award Abstract:
Six transects of the Atlantic Ocean will be undertaken between 2002 and 2005 to determine the structure and functioning of planktonic ecosystems in relation to physical and atmospheric processes that affect, directly or indirectly, the ocean carbon cycle. A range of new technologies will be applied to the measurement of key biological processes that control the formation and fate of organic matter. The observations, together with those obtained from earlier transects between 1995 and 2000, will be used to analyse annual and longer term variability in ocean ecology and biogeochemistry within the context of climate change. The cruises will also enable formal training in interdisciplinary oceanography to be given to a new generation of PhD students.

Principal Investigator: Professor C Robinson, Plymouth Marine Laboratory

Co-Investigators:

Dr T Jickells, University of East Anglia, Environmental Sciences
Dr M Lucas, NOC (Up to 31.10.2019), Science and Technology
Dr S Lavender, Pixalytics Ltd, Head Office
Dr RP Harris, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Plymouth Marine Lab
Professor RG Williams, University of Liverpool, Earth, Ocean and Ecological Sciences
Professor J Aiken, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, CASIX
Professor R Upstill-Goddard, Newcastle University, Sch of Natural & Environmental Sciences
Professor A Watson, University of Exeter, Geography
Professor P Holligan, University of Southampton, Sch of Ocean and Earth Science
Dr CS Law, Nat Inst of Water and Atmos Res NIWA, Wellington Office
Dr G Malin, University of East Anglia, Environmental Sciences
Professor N J P Owens, Scottish Association For Marine Science, Dunstaffnage Marine Laboratory
Professor R Sanders, University of Southampton, Sch of Ocean and Earth Science
Professor P Liss, University of East Anglia, Environmental Sciences
Professor GA Wolff, University of Liverpool, Earth, Ocean and Ecological Sciences
Professor M Zubkov, Scottish Association For Marine Science, Dunstaffnage Marine Laboratory
Dr G Uher, Newcastle University, Sch of Natural & Environmental Sciences
Professor P Burkill, University of Plymouth, Sch of Engineering