GO-SHIP

GO-SHIP
Name	Global Ocean Ship-based Hydrographic Investigations Program
Abbreviation	GO-SHIP
Formation	2007
Focus	Hydrographic and biogeochemical observations of the global ocean
Parent organization	IOCCP and CLIVAR
Website	www.go-ship.org

GO-SHIP. The Global Ocean Ship-based Hydrographic Investigations Program is an international collaborative effort to conduct sustained, high-quality, full-depth hydrographic surveys across the world's oceans. It provides a foundational, globally-coordinated dataset essential for understanding the ocean's role in the climate system, including carbon uptake, heat storage, and changes in ocean circulation. The program builds upon the legacy of earlier programs like the World Ocean Circulation Experiment and continues to be a cornerstone for oceanographic research and climate assessment.

Overview and Mission

The primary mission of GO-SHIP is to generate a consistent, high-precision, and publicly available global dataset of essential ocean variables through decadal, ship-based, cross-basin hydrographic sections. This systematic approach is designed to detect and quantify long-term changes in the physical and biogeochemical state of the ocean, which are critical for evaluating and constraining climate models. The program operates under the joint sponsorship of the International Ocean Carbon Coordination Project and the Climate and Ocean: Variability, Predictability, and Change project, ensuring its integration within the global climate research framework. Its data are fundamental for major assessments by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and inform policies related to climate change mitigation.

History and Development

GO-SHIP formally coalesced in 2007, unifying and extending the objectives of several preceding global ocean observation programs. Its most direct predecessor was the World Ocean Circulation Experiment, which during the 1990s established a global network of high-quality hydrographic sections. Following WOCE, the Climate Variability and Predictability program and the Joint Global Ocean Flux Study maintained elements of this observational network. The need for sustained, systematic observations to track anthropogenic changes led to the creation of GO-SHIP, which effectively became the repeat hydrography component of the integrated Global Ocean Observing System. Key planning meetings, such as those held in Bermuda and Hobart, helped define its protocols and organizational structure.

Scientific Objectives and Core Measurements

The core scientific objectives focus on quantifying the ocean's uptake and storage of anthropogenic carbon dioxide, changes in ocean heat content and salinity, variations in large-scale ocean circulation and water mass properties, and trends in ocean oxygen and nutrient inventories. To achieve this, GO-SHIP cruises collect a comprehensive suite of measurements. These include high-accuracy measurements of temperature, salinity, and pressure from CTD rosettes, discrete water samples analyzed for dissolved inorganic carbon, total alkalinity, nutrients, oxygen, chlorofluorocarbons, and transient tracers. Additional measurements often encompass current profiles from ADCPs, biological sampling for phytoplankton, and underway measurements of surface carbon dioxide.

Cruise Operations and Data Management

Cruise operations are conducted by numerous nations and research institutions, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. National Science Foundation, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, and the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology. Vessels like the R/V Roger Revelle and R/V Thomas G. Thompson are frequently employed. Data management follows strict, internationally agreed protocols to ensure quality and consistency. All data are submitted to designated World Data Centers, such as the Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center for carbon data and the CLIVAR and Carbon Hydrographic Data Office for hydrographic data, where they undergo rigorous quality control before public release.

Key Findings and Scientific Impact

GO-SHIP data have been instrumental in documenting the accelerating uptake of anthropogenic carbon dioxide by the global ocean, revealing that the ocean absorbs roughly a quarter of human carbon emissions. The program has quantified significant warming and associated thermal expansion contributing to sea level rise, and has tracked the expansion of oxygen minimum zones. Observations have also detailed changes in the strength and structure of major current systems like the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. These datasets are critical for validating satellite observations from missions like Aqua and for initializing and testing models used by the Met Office and the National Centers for Environmental Prediction.

Organizational Structure and Partnerships

GO-SHIP is governed by an international steering committee with representatives from the major national and institutional contributors. It operates as a core project within the Global Climate Observing System and is an essential element of the Global Ocean Observing System. Key partnerships include close collaboration with the Argo program of profiling floats, which provides complementary broad-scale coverage, and with satellite remote sensing communities. Funding and logistical support are provided by a consortium of agencies worldwide, fostering a truly global effort in sustained ocean observation for climate science.

Category:Oceanography Category:Climate change assessment and attribution Category:International scientific organizations