EPOC workshop on BGC sensors on the AMOC mooring array
Edinburgh, Friday 20 February 2026
Edinburgh, Friday 20 February 2026
Transport mooring arrays have revolutionised our ability to monitor and understand how ocean circulation varies and functions, and how these dynamics influence climate across multiple timescales. Over the past two decades, there has been a huge international investment in observational infrastructure and technical expertise, creating long‑term mooring networks that now serve as one of the most powerful platforms for sustained ocean monitoring. While these arrays have already transformed our knowledge of circulation and its role in the climate system, we are only beginning to exploit their potential for biogeochemical investigations.
At the same time, biogeochemical sensing technologies are advancing rapidly, with some parameters already mature, opening-up new opportunities to observe the dynamics of carbon, nutrients, oxygen, and other variables in situ. By combining these sensors with circulation measurements, mooring arrays can help address some of the most pressing unknowns in global climate science: How is carbon being taken up, transported and stored by the ocean? How are ecosystems sustained by the lateral and vertical delivery of nutrients to the mixed layer? How do oxygen dynamics reveal ventilation and mixing processes, and what does this mean for deoxygenation trends? How will each of these respond to changing heat and freshwater fluxes, and projected circulation change?
Together, the existing infrastructure and emerging technologies provide a unique opportunity to link physical and biogeochemical perspectives, enabling us to tackle questions of carbon sequestration, nutrient cycling, and ecosystem resilience in a changing climate.
With the AMOC and wider ocean science community convening in the UK for the 2026 Ocean Sciences Meeting, this workshop provides a timely opportunity to bring marine biogeochemists, physical oceanographers, and technical experts together. We aim to fostering dialogue across disciplines and career stages, sharing current best practice, identifying priority science questions, and develop strategies to capitalise on co‑located BGC and circulation measurements. The workshop will serve as a springboard for new collaborations and proposals, ensuring that the substantial investment in mooring infrastructure and sensor technology is fully leveraged to address some of the most critical unknowns in the global climate system.
This workshop will provide a platform for the ocean science community to:
This workshop is designed for a broad, interdisciplinary audience, including:
By bringing together participants across disciplines, technical backgrounds and career stages, the workshop will be a unique forum to advance interdisciplinary efforts and ensure that the substantial investment in mooring infrastructure and sensor technologies is fully leveraged to address critical climate questions.
Participation requires pre-registration, which is now closed for in-person attendance. It may still be possible to secure remote participation – please see details below.
The workshop will take place on Friday 20 February 2026 at the National Museum of Scotland in central Edinburgh. Registration for in person attendance is now closed but remote participation may still be possible – please email a request to vikki.gunn@seascapeconsultants.co.uk.
In-person participants should arrive at the Musuem via the Tower Entrance on the corner of Chambers Street (see map below) by 08:45. The meeting will be held in the Bute Room – please follow the signs once you are inside the building. Refreshments and lunch will be provided.
Online participants will receive joining information and the link to the Zoom platform via email in due course.
For those attending the AGU Ocean Science meeting in Glasgow the following week, Edinburgh is a 45-minute direct train ride from Glasgow with trains departing 2-3 times per hour. For more details see the Scotrail website.
National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF
Google Maps coordinates: 55.947055275695675, -3.190909507055442
Map link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/CrHLnfb5WapR5T1ZA
We are working on finalising the workshop programme which will be circulated to registered participants shortly, along with joining instructions for online participants. Outline timings for the day are indicated below:
08:45 – 09:00
Arrival and registration; welcome coffee
09:00 – 09:15
Welcome; introduction to the workshop – Pete Brown, NOC
Introduction to the EPOC project – Eleanor Frajka-Williams, U. Hamburg
09:15 – 10:45
Session 1: Science Showcase – Integrating circulation and biogeochemistry
Recent advances where physical and biogeochemical observations have been combined, demonstrating how co‑located measurements can reveal new insights into variability, transport processes, and climate impacts. This session will emphasise methodological approaches and lessons learned from pioneering studies.
10:45 – 11:15
Coffee break
11:15 – 12:45
Session 2: Technical Focus – Building robust observing systems
Examination of the engineering and operational foundations that enable interdisciplinary science. Topics will include sensor performance in challenging environments, strategies for long‑term deployments, approaches to calibration and validation, and the integration of ancillary measurements. This session will highlight innovations and practical solutions that underpin reliable data streams.
12:45 – 13:45
Lunch break
13:45 – 14:30
Session 3: Logistical considerations – mooring array intricacies
Building on the technical and sensor considerations explored, we will cover more logistical issues relating to mooring array access, timelines for mooring design and cruise frequency, diplomatic considerations, and facilities available.
14:30 – 15:15
Session 4: Open Science Questions – Defining the next frontier
Identification of the most pressing questions that can only be addressed through combined BGC and circulation measurements. Framing questions in terms of processes and scales: basin‑wide fluxes, variability and trends, the coupling of physical changes with biogeochemical/ecosystem dynamics. The emphasis will be on prioritising questions that demand interdisciplinary approaches.
15:15 – 15:45
Coffee break
15:45 – 16:45
Session 5: Collaboration and strategy – shaping the roadmap forward
Interactive discussions to translate scientific and technical insights into new collaborative opportunities. Through the identification of shared priorities, we will explore the possibilities for joint proposals and infrastructure development, and establish mechanisms for community coordination and future engagement.
16:45 – 17:00
Recommendations, next steps and wrap up
17:00
Workshop close
Pete Brown, National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, UK
Vikki Gunn, Seascape Consultants, UK
Eleanor Frajka-Williams, Universität Hamburg, Germany
Jaime Palter, University of Rhode Island, USA (attending virtually)
David (Roo) Nicholson, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, USA
Kaja Scheliga, Universität Hamburg, Germany
If you have any questions about the workshop, please contact Dr Pete Brown (scientific/technical queries) or Dr Vikki Gunn (workshop logistics).
