Collaborative Research: The Oleander Project: High-resolution Observation of the Dynamic Ocean Between New Jersey and Bermuda

This project will extend for five years and enhance the multi-decadal oceanographic observations from the MV Oleander, a container vessel that on a weekly schedule crosses four distinct regions, namely the continental shelf, Slope Sea, Gulf Stream and Sargasso Sea on its route between New Jersey and Bermuda. The enhancements include an acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) pair that will provide direct measurement of the currents through the base of the thermocline to about 1200 m depth in the open ocean on the one hand, and high vertical resolution profiling of the upper ocean on the other. The former will enable research into the full upper ocean structure of the Gulf Stream, the mesoscale eddy field, and the highly variable Sargasso Sea, all of which are important components in the large scale ocean circulation including the climatically important meridional overturning circulation (MOC). The latter will greatly improve coverage on the continental shelf, shelfbreak front and resolution of the mixed layer seasonal thermocline structure. The Oleander track is uniquely situated as it enables in situ measurements across the shelf and slope, through the southernmost extension of the North Atlantic subpolar gyre, and into the subtropical gyre. The beauty of these ADCP snapshots is that they tell us what the ocean is doing over a wide range of scales. Ensemble averaging these leads to robust data sets that will contribute to continued and deeper investigations into (1) seasonal, and interannual to decadal variability on the mid-Atlantic Bight shelf, (2) dynamics controlling the communication between the shelf and open ocean, (3) connectivity along western boundaries in the MOC at different latitudes, and (4) interannual to decadal variability in the Gulf Stream position, strength and the structure of the subpolar gyre, and the recirculation in the Sargasso Sea. In addition, the high horizontal resolution of surface salinity, temperature and velocity afforded by individual tracks will enable continued investigation into sub-mesoscale processes. A replacement ship is expected to enter service in the second or third year of the project. With the installation of two new ADCPs on the new hull, one for improved shelf-slope operation and one to profile to 1200 m depths, the Oleander project will greatly increase its observational footprint in the northwest Atlantic. All data will be available to the public as soon as they are processed and quality-controlled. The expansion of the University of Hawaii UNOLS-wide ADCP data acquisition system, UHDAS to include volunteer observing ships will allow for real time data streams from not only the Oleander, but also other such ADCP-equipped vessels in operation in the North Atlantic.