An international team of scientists led by researchers at three research institutions (Heriot-Watt University, University of Southampton and National Oceanography Centre), undertook fieldwork on board the RRS Discovery and RRS James Cook, to help gain a better understanding of the role marine organisms play in storing carbon in the ocean. 

The intense six-month study included two research vessel expeditions and a complex mission with multiple ocean robots, including Autosub Long Range, known as 'Boaty McBoatface'. The goal was to collect data across a whole seasonal cycle to inform the next generation of climate models.

Science included:

  • CHALKY: Fieldwork led by Professor Alex Poulton from The Lyell Centre at Heriot-Watt University looked to gain a better understanding of how specific organisms, called coccolithophores, which build intricate ‘shells’ through a process called calcification, can affect the ability of seawater to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. To do this, Alex and the team have undertaken novel measurements and experiments at sea, using an innovative suite of new sensors on the ship, on ocean robots and on satellites to look at how viral infection and consumption by small animals influence coccolithophore “blooms”, often referred to as “white waters” or “white tides” by sailors.
  • IDAPro: Led by Professor Mark Moore from the University of Southampton, this project explored primary production, the process by which carbon is removed from the surface of the ocean and transformed into organic matter. Primary production supports virtually all life in the sea. By combining elegant experiments that were conducted on board RRS Discovery and RRS James Cook with observations made by a fleet of robots and drifting floats throughout the year, Mark and his team examined the relative importance of the availability of light and nutrients, as well as consumption by larger organisms, in controlling this key process. 
  • PARTITRICS: The project of Professor Stephanie Henson from NOC gained a better understanding of how climate change will affect the rate at which the marine ecosystem releases carbon dioxide by using organic carbon as a source of energy, in a process called respiration. In addition to using advanced cameras and robots to examine how carbon in dead organisms is consumed as it sinks, Stephanie and her team deployed a new piece of equipment that acts like a freely drifting mini-laboratory, which quantified the rate at which organic material is being respired in situ. 

View all BIO-Carbon projects

Spring expedition – RRS Discovery
Kicking off the 6-month study, the DY180 expedition, led by Professor Steph Henson set sail from Southampton on Tuesday 21st May to the North Atlantic, south of Iceland.

During the Spring expedition, the team encountered a massive bloom of coccolithophores in the far northeast of the Atlantic. The bloom in the Iceland Basin to the South of Iceland was roughly the size of Scotland. 

Cutting-edge ocean robots
Additionally, a joint BIO-Carbon-FMRI mission saw the use of two autonomous vehicles, NOC’s Autosub Long Range (ALR), better known as ‘Boaty McBoatface’, both equipped with a suite of cutting-edge sensors to analyse the biology and chemistry of the ocean. 

The mission marked the first country-to-country deployment for an ALR, with ALR 4 crossing the Iceland Basin from Reykjavik to Harris, in the Scottish Outer Hebrides. This is also the first time two ALRs have been deployed simultaneously for one mission, pushing the boundaries of robotic ocean exploration.

Check out BBC’s special report following the BIO-Carbon Spring expedition

Autumn Expedition – RRS James Cook
Building on the Spring expedition, scientists and crew onboard the RRS James Cook returned to the North Atlantic, south of Iceland in September 2024. 

Led by Professor Mark Moore from the University of Southampton, the JC269 expedition saw the continuation of groundbreaking BIO-Carbon fieldwork and the retrieval of the gliders deployed on the Spring Expedition. It also provided opportunities for a number of early career scientists to get to sea to pursue their own research.

Watch the JC269 wrap-up video produced by Arianwen Herbert:

Keep an eye on our News page for outcomes of BIO-Carbon fieldwork