A collection of raw format seafloor visual images acquired during a survey within the Greater Haig Fras Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ), central Celtic Sea, in 2012. This was the first in a series of surveys to be conducted in this location. A camera system mounted on the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) Autosub6000 was deployed during RRS Discovery cruise 377/8 (D377/8), and images were collected from four 4.7 km transect lines. The raw images are provided in this collection, available on request. The images are provided in a raw format unique to the Grasshopper 2 camera system. The aim of the survey was to undertake high-resolution acoustic seabed mapping and visual imagery in a Marine Protected Area, in order to highlight the capability of AUV technology for offshore seabed mapping and benthic assemblage assessment. The work was initially undertaken as part of a Defra-funded project "Investigating the feasibility of utilizing AUV and Glider technology for mapping and monitoring of the UK MPA network (MB0118)", Case study 2: Shallow-water AUV mapping off SW UK (https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/500733/), and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) funded Autonomous Ecological Surveying of the Abyss project (NE/H021787/1), involving scientists from the National Oceanography Centre (NOC), UK. Other supporting datasets available on request include AUV-based multibeam bathymetry, sidescan sonar and CTD data.

The GEBCO Grid is a global terrain model for oceans and land at 30 arc-second intervals which was developed and first released in 2009 by the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO) as GEBCO 08. The current release is GEBCO 2014, released in December 2014 and updated in March 2015. GEBCO is an international group of experts who work on the development of a range of bathymetric (accurate mapping of the sea floor) data sets and data products. The bathymetric portion of the grid is largely based on a database of ship-track soundings with interpolation between soundings guided by satellite-derived gravity data. Data sets developed by other methods are also included where they improve the grid. The land portion of the grid is largely based on the US Geological Survey's SRMT30 data set, developed with data from the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission (SRTM). For the area around Antarctica, the land data are taken from the Bedmap2 data set. The grid is accompanied by a Source Identifier (SID) Grid which identifies which cells in the GEBCO Grid are based on soundings or existing grids and which have been interpolated. The data sets are updated as new bathymetric compilations are made available. Both grids are freely available to download, in netCDF; data GeoTiff and Esri ASCII raster formats, from the web. Free software is available for viewing and accessing data from the grids in netCDF and ASCII data formats. The grids are also included as part of the GEBCO Digital Atlas DVD.

This dataset provides yearly estimates of near-global (65N-65S) ocean heat content and thermosteric sea-level depth-integrated for the upper 700 meters of the ocean for 1970 - 2023. The yearly values are presented with three-year smoothing and one-sigma error estimates. The dataset builds upon and updates the methodology established in Domingues et al. (2008, Nature), incorporating temperature measurements from ocean observation systems and applying corrections for instrumental biases and sampling irregularities. To estimate ocean heat content for the upper 700 m and the associated thermosteric sea level, we used ocean temperature profiles from the ENACT/ENSEMBLES version 3 (EN3) data set (1970-2004), and Argo/Ifremer profiling floats (2000-2023, updated January 2024). Empirical Orthogonal Functions (EOFs) were used to model variability of the time-varying sea level and were calculated from 23 years (1993–2015) of satellite altimeter data sourced from Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), (TOPEX/Poseidon, Jason-1, Jason-2 and Jason-3).

This dataset consists of measurements of underway meteorology, navigation and sea surface hydrography. The data were collected on RRS Discovery cruise DY051 through the Goban Spur and Rockall Trough areas of the Northeast Atlantic. The cruise spanned the 13th of May to the 3rd of June 2016. Navigation data were collected using an Applanix POSMV system and meteorology and sea surface hydrography were collected using the NMF Surfmet system. Both systems were run through the duration of the cruise, excepting times for cleaning, entering and leaving port, and while alongside. The data were collected as part of the 'MAC-EXP: Development of a pressurised sampling, experimentation and cultivation system for deep-sea sediments' project. The project aims to develop a flexible, cost-effective alternative to in situ experimentation: a pressure-coring, experimentation and cultivation system that enables studies of deep-sea prokaryote biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, under ambient or manipulated pressure, temperature and oxygen conditions from any medium-sized oceangoing research ship with coring capability. This Multiple-Autoclave-Coring and Experimentation system (MAC-EXP) will aim to provide the possibility to systematically test the influence of environmental parameters, such as pressure, oxygen availability or pH on deep-sea organisms and their biochemistry, as well as on rates and pathways of biogeochemical and geomicrobial processes. The system will also aim to allow pioneering work in the field of marine biodiscovery: secondary metabolites from marine microorganisms are a rich source of chemical diversity and several marine-microbe-derived compounds are now in clinical trials. Funding was provided by NERC Standard grants NE/I023465/1 (lead) and NE/I024232/1. The lead grant covered 01 February 2013 to 31 December 2016 and the child grant covered 01 April 2012 to 31 March 2015. Professor Ursula Witte of University of Aberdeen, Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences was the principal investigator for the lead grant. Professor Ronald J Parkes of Cardiff University School of Earth and Ocean Sciences was the principal investigator for the child grant. The data have not yet been received by BODC.

Seafloor visual images were acquired during a survey within the Greater Haig Fras Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ), central Celtic Sea, in 2012. This was the first in a series of similar surveys to be conducted in this location. A camera system mounted on the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) Autosub6000 was deployed during RRS Discovery cruise 377/8 (D377/8), and images were collected from four 4.7 km transect lines. Images were mosaicked in "tiles" consisting of five consecutive images (each tile representing approximately 7.3 m2 of seabed). Images were orthorectified and scaled to a common altitude per tile. The mosaicked tiles are provided in this collection. The aim of the survey was to undertake high-resolution acoustic seabed mapping and visual imagery in a Marine Protected Area, in order to highlight the capability of AUV technology for offshore seabed mapping and benthic assemblage assessment. The work was initially undertaken as part of a Defra-funded project "Investigating the feasibility of utilizing AUV and Glider technology for mapping and monitoring of the UK MPA network (MB0118)", Case study 2: Shallow-water AUV mapping off SW UK (https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/500733/), and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) funded Autonomous Ecological Surveying of the Abyss project (NE/H021787/1), involving scientists from the National Oceanography Centre (NOC), UK.

This dataset consists of a variety of hydrographic, biological, biogeochemical and meteorological data. Underway automatic sampling followed by flow cytometry was used for assessing mesoscale spatial variability of microorganisms. Coarse-scale (CTD) and fine-scale (PumpCast profiler) vertical distribution of microorganisms was determined, with dominant microbial prokaryotic and eukaryotic groups quantified by flow cytometry. Samples were collected and processed for subsequent molecular identification of flow cytometrically sorted dominant microbes. Abundance of larger microplankton organisms was assessed. Microbial respiration in the twilight zone was studied. Group-specific uptake of bicarbonate, phosphate and different nitrogen compounds was determined and group-specific production and grazing assessed using flow sorting. The ambient turnover rates of phosphate, organic phosphorus and labile dissolved organic matter, e.g. amino acids, was bioassayed. In order to put the microbial community data into context, physical and chemical parameters were measured. A ship mounted Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) was used to collect information about physical, mesoscale spatial context and, when combined with turbulence profiler data, SeaSoar profiler data and data collected using intensive Conductivity, Temperature and Depth (CTD) sampling for dissolved inorganic nutrients, may estimate mesoscale nutrient fluxes into the photic zone. PELAGRA neutral buoyancy sediment traps were used to estimate biogenic sedimentation. Samples were collected for particulate calcite, opal, and Particulate Organic Matter (POM) measurements, together with the isotopic composition of Particulate Organic Nitrogen (PON). Data collection was in the North Atlantic subtropical gyre between 9th August and 15th September 2011 during RRS Discovery cruise D369. The data were collected as part of the United Kingdom (UK) Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Oceans 2025 programme (Theme 2). D369 was the last of three National Oceanography Centre 'process study' research cruises to be run by the Ocean Biogeochemistry and Ecosystems research group under the NERC Ocean 2025 research programme. The Principal Scientist was Mikhail V Zubkov of National Oceanography Centre, Southampton. Data from this cruise are held at the British Oceanographic Data Centre.

This dataset consists of measurements of underway meteorology, navigation and sea surface hydrography as well as underway discrete salinity samples. A comprehensive survey of the Tropical Atlantic was undertaken between June and August 2017. Data were collected on RRS James Cook cruise JC150. Navigation data were collected using an Applanix POSMV system and meteorology and sea surface hydrography were collected using the NMF Surfmet system. Both systems were run through the duration of the cruise, excepting times for cleaning, entering and leaving port, and while alongside. 65 salinity samples were taken from the non-toxic underway supply. The non-toxic, pumped seawater supply intake was located 5.5 m below the sea surface. Sample analysis was completed using a Guildline 'Autosal' salinometer. This cruise formed the field component of NERC Discovery Science project "Zinc, Iron and Phosphorus co-Limitation in the Ocean (ZIPLOc)". The data were collected in order to determine the prevalence of zinc and iron limitation of APA in the phosphate deplete subtropical North Atlantic Ocean; to quantify the impact of zinc-phosphorous and iron-phosphorous co-limitation on biological activity, specifically phytoplankton growth, primary production and nitrogen fixation; and to quantify the significance of zinc-phosphorous and iron-phosphorous co-limitation in driving phytoplankton productivity over basin scales and multi-decadal time scales. The Discovery Science project was composed of Standard Grant reference NE/N001079/1 as the lead grant with child grant NE/N001125/1. The lead grant ran from 02 January 2017 to 03 February 2017 and the child grant ran from 01 February 2017 to 31 July 2019. Dr Claire Mahaffey of University of Liverpool, Earth, Ocean and Ecological Sciences was the principal investigator of the lead grant of this project. Prof Maeve C. Lohan of University of Southampton, School of Ocean and Earth Science was the principal investigator of the child grant. The underway discrete salinity samples data and the underway navigation, meteorology and sea surface hydrography data have been received by BODC as raw files from the RRS James Cook, processed and quality controlled using in-house BODC procedures and are will be made available online in the near future.

The dataset comprises scanned images of historical analogue charts and data ledgers from eight tide gauge sites around the UK. The sites include: Sheerness, Belfast, and several sites around Liverpool managed by the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company namely, Eastham, Gladstone, Hilbre, Princes Pier, Tranmere and Waterloo. The Sheerness ledger data represents some of the earliest records of sea level data in the UK and cover the periods - January 1870 to December 1881, July 1882 to October 1894 and December 1929 to April 1941. Data availability for the other sites are: Belfast analogue charts - 27 November 1901 to 24 May 1902; Princes Pier ledgers: - 1941 to 1950, 1951 to 1960 and 1961 to 1970; Eastham, Gladstone, Hilbre, Princes Pier, Tranmere and Waterloo ledgers: - 1982 to 1988. The data recorded in some of the ledgers also describe meteorological measurements for example, air pressure, air temperature, wind speed and direction, and precipitation and evaporation. Funding to rescue these historical sea level data came from the Marine Environmental Data and Information Network (MEDIN) and the British Oceanographic Data Centre (BODC).These images have now been added to the National Oceanographic Database and are freely available to registered users (subject to licence agreement).

Two collections of benthic still images were obtained using a downward-looking camera mounted on the UK ISIS Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV), deployed from the RRS James Cook during cruise JC241, 2023. Three further benthic still image collections were acquired using the UK Autosub5 Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV), deployed from the RRS James Cook during cruise JC257, 2024. All surveys were undertaken in the abyssal plain of the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ), Pacific Ocean (~4100-4700 m depth). The Grasshopper2 GS2-GE-50S5C camera system was mounted on each vehicle and captured vertically orientated still images at a target altitude of 2.5 - 3 m above the seabed. One ROV survey from JC241 was undertaken to assess benthic biological patterns in an area disturbed by a deep-sea mining machine operated by the Ocean Minerals Company (OMCO) in 1979. The second ROV survey from JC241 and one AUV survey from JC257 was undertaken in the UK-1 exploration area. The second AUV survey from JC257 was undertaken 30 km south of the northern border of the UK-1 exploration area. The third AUV survey from JC257 was undertaken 100 km south of the northern border of the UK-1 exploration area. The surveys were undertaken to derive ecological understanding on the influence of seabed topography on seabed community composition. The data were collected by scientists from the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, UK as part of the NERC-funded Seabed Mining And Resilience To EXperimental impact (SMARTEX) project (NE/T003537/1).

The Global Sea Level Observing System (GLOSS) 'Delayed-mode' Data Assembly Centre at the British Oceanographic Data Centre (BODC) quality controls and archives high frequency (i.e. hourly or more frequent) global sea level data and any ancillary measurements (e.g. temperature, wind speed/direction, atmospheric pressure) that are included with the data. The tide gauges are situated on most coastlines, and data cover the Arctic to the Antarctic, and the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific oceans. The main component of GLOSS is the 'Global Core Network' (GCN) of 290 sea level stations around the world for long term climate change and oceanographic sea level monitoring. The Core Network is designed to provide an approximately evenly-distributed sampling. The GLOSS Long Term Trends (LTT) set of gauge sites (some, but not all, of which are in the GCN) are used for monitoring long term trends and accelerations in global sea level. The GLOSS altimeter calibration (ALT) set consists mostly of island stations, and provides a facility for mission intercalibrations. A GLOSS ocean circulation (OC) set, including in particular gauge pairs at straits and in polar area, complements altimetric coverage of the open deep ocean. Data exist from the mid 1800s up to the present day, with particularly long records from Newlyn, U.K.; Brest, France; Prince Rupert, Canada and Honolulu, San Diego and San Francisco, U.S.A.; Sea level has been measured by a variety of different instruments with the historical data mainly coming from mechanical float gauges. More recent technologies include acoustic, pressure, and radar instruments. GLOSS aims at the establishment of high quality global and regional sea level networks to create long‐term sea level records. These records, as well as being used in climate studies (sea level rise), are also used in oceanography (ocean currents, tides, surges), geodesy (national datum), geophysics and geology (coastal land movements) as well as various other disciplines. The programme became known as GLOSS as it provides data for deriving the 'Global Level of the Sea Surface'. GLOSS is an international programme conducted under the auspices of the Joint Technical Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology (JCOMM) of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC). Data are collected by local agencies such as port authorities, universities and navies and sent to or downloaded by the data centre.