{"id":1407,"date":"2026-03-10T15:55:47","date_gmt":"2026-03-10T15:55:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/currents.bigelow.org\/?p=1407"},"modified":"2026-03-10T18:23:14","modified_gmt":"2026-03-10T18:23:14","slug":"field-notes-gulf-of-maine-north-atlantic-time-series","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/currents.bigelow.org\/?p=1407","title":{"rendered":"Field Notes: Gulf of Maine North Atlantic Time Series"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Farley Miller<\/strong>, Research Associate, Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFive minutes,\u201d Dave calls from the wheelhouse. Those of us in the lab space on board look at each other, not sure if we can wrap up processing from the last sampling station before the next one arrives. We were supposed to be fair weather scientists. We prefer light winds and calm seas to reduce interference and to travel at speed. But here we are in February, heaving off of Monhegan Island, ice building up on the rails, and the deck a slushy mess. We are bouncing around, spilling water, and struggling to keep the filters from flying off their stands. But the skies are clear, not a cloud in sight. That\u2019s why we picked today.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t<\/button>
Farley Miller<\/strong> (right) and Tim D’Angelo (left) inside the R\/V Bowditch during a GNATS cruise. <\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n

We were offshore validating the newest NASA ocean-observing satellite as part of a long-term project at Bigelow Laboratory: the Gulf of Maine North Atlantic Time Series (GNATS)<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Clear skies are important for this science, because ocean-observing satellites use sunlight to look at ocean color to tease out what is contained in the water. Particulates (like phytoplankton, zooplankton, and detritus), as well as dissolved compounds, change the color of the water in a way that can be observed by satellites. But similar color doesn\u2019t mean exactly the same thing in different parts of the global ocean. That\u2019s why it is essential to have labs around the world validating satellite observations in many bodies of water. If we don\u2019t measure these properties \u2014 including chlorophyll, primary productivity, dissolved carbon, and available nutrients \u2014 in the Gulf of Maine, the satellite algorithms that translate ocean color into meaningful information on biology won\u2019t be accurate for our region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

GNATS has been gathering seasonal data in the Gulf of Maine since 1998, helping scientists understand how the Gulf is changing. It\u2019s becoming warmer, less biologically productive, and more acidic. All of that is reflected in subtle changes in color.<\/p>\n\n\n