Chapter 1. Introduction
The Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (JGOFS)
is an international and multi-disciplinary study with the goal of understanding
the role of the oceans in global carbon and nutrient cycles. The Scientific
Council on Ocean Research describes this goal for the international program:
“To determine and understand the time-varying fluxes of carbon and associated
biogenic elements in the ocean, and to evaluate the related exchanges with
the atmosphere, sea floor and continental boundaries.” As
part of this effort in the United States,
the National Science Foundation has funded two time-series stations, one
in Bermuda and the second in Hawaii and a series of large process-oriented
field investigations.
This document is a methods manual describing
many of the current measurements used by scientists involved in JGOFS.
It was originally based on a methods manual produced by the staff of the
US JGOFS Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study (BATS) as part of their efforts
to document the methods used at the time-series station. It has been modified
through the comments of many JGOFS scientists and in its present form is
designed as an aid in training new scientists and technicians in JGOFS
style methods. An attempt was made to include many JGOFS scientists in
the review of these methods. However, total agreement on the specifics
of some procedures could not be reached. This manual is not intended to
be the definitive statement on these methods, rather to serve as a high
quality reference point for comparison with the diversity of acceptable
measurements currently in use.
Presented in this manual are a set of accepted
methods for most of the core JGOFS parameters. We also include comments
on variations to the methods and in some cases, make note of alternative
procedures for the same measurement. Careful use of these methods will
allow scientists to meet JGOFS and WOCE standards for most measurements.
The manual is designed for scientists with some previous experience in
the techniques. In most sections, reference is made to both more complete
detailed methods and to some of the authorities on the controversial aspects
of the methods.
The organization and editing of this manual
has been largely the effort of the scientists and technicians of the BATS
program as administered by the Bermuda Biological Station For Research,
Inc. (Dr. Anthony H. Knap as principal investigator). A large number of
scientists from around the world submitted valuable comments on the earlier
drafts. We acknowledge the
considerable input from our colleagues
at the Hawaii Ocean Time-series (HOT) and members of the methods groups
of the international JGOFS community. The Group of Experts on Methods,
Standards and Intercalibration (GEMSI), jointly sponsored by the Intergovernmental
Oceanographic Commission and the United Nations Environment Programme,
have also reviewed this document. The support for compilation of this work
was provided in part by funds from the United States National Science Foundation
OCE-8613904; OCE-880189.
Dr. Anthony H. Knap
Chairman, IOC/UNEP - GEMSI