This dataset contains data collected during the integration and demonstration of the newly developed SenseOCEAN multifunctional sensor package. The data were collected from field tests in Kiel Fjord (Germany), the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean Sea in September 2016 and May 2017. New marine chemical sensors (such as optode sensors (O2, CO2, NH3, pH), lab on chip (LOC) sensors (NO3-, NO2-, PO43-, Fe2+, pH) and electrochemical sensors (silicate, N2O)), an integrated multifunctional sensor, plug and play Modbus module and data assembly centre were developed by the EU consortia, SenseOCEAN. The consortia consisted of TU Graz, Pyro Science GmbH, Chelsea Technology Group, Aarhus University, Alfred Wegener Institute (AWI), CNRS-LEGOS, Max Planck Institute, nke Instrumentation, TE Laboratories, University of Southampton, National Oceanography Centre (NOC), Unisense A/S and the British Oceanographic Data Centre (BODC). The sensors and Modbus module were deployed for demonstrations on various platforms including CTD Rosettes, fixed-position pontoons and NKE PROVOR profiling (ARGO) floats. The data were collected as part of the SenseOCEAN Collaborative Project funded by the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007–2013) under grant agreement No. 614141. The main aim of the SenseOCEAN project was to develop new chemical sensors for in situ measurements of the marine environment and to combine these to produce an integrated multifunctional biogeochemical sensor package. The coordinator was Professor Douglas Connelly at the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, UK. The data are held by BODC as a series of ASCII data files conforming to the NASA AMES 1001 format together with a PDF document that describes the data set.

A novel temperature dataset for northern high latitude Seas (ATLAS) is a dataset of three-dimensional temperature derived from combining quality controlled Argo float measurements with marine mammal mounted Satellite Relay Data Loggers (SRDLs) profiles. Using data values gathered from across the North Atlantic region, a 1×1 degree gridded temperature dataset of the average monthly values from January 2004 to December 2008, with 15 vertical layers between 0–700 m was produced. Built as complementary to existing ship-based fields, the ATLAS dataset is a community resource to help determine the impacts of climate change on the Labrador and Nordic Seas regions. The data were collated by the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) and are made available from the British Oceanographic Data Centre (BODC).

The oceanographic part of the ACSIS (North Atlantic Climate System Integrated Study) project uses sustained observations from the North Atlantic, gathered during other observational programs, such as RAPID, Argo and OSNAP, to generate ocean heat budgets. The overarching objective of the ACSIS project is to enhance the UK’s capability to detect, attribute and predict changes in the North Atlantic Climate System, comprising: the North Atlantic Ocean, the atmosphere above it including its composition, and interactions with Arctic Sea Ice and the Greenland Ice Sheet. The data will be combined with models to develop new products. ACSIS is delivered by a partnership between six NERC Centres, National Centre for Atmospheric Science (NCAS), National Oceangraphy Centre (NOC), British Antarctic Survey (BAS), National Centre for Earth Observation (NCEO), Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling (CPOM), Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML) and the UK Met Office. ACSIS has been fully funded for five years (2016-2021) through the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Long Term Science commissioning, which aims to encourage its research centres to work closely together to tackle major scientific and societal challenges. The oceanographic data are held by the British Oceanographic Data Centre (BODC), the atmospheric, cryospheric and model data are held by the Centre for Environmental Data Analysis (CEDA).

This data set comprises hydrographic measurements including temperature, salinity, fluorescence, attenuance, dissolved oxygen concentrations and current velocities. Water samples were also collected for salinity and geochemical analysis, and the data set also includes bathymetric, sediment and upper ocean turbulence measurements. The data were collected over six Science Missions at the Strait of Sicily, West Coast of Scotland (Loch Etive and Loch Fyne), North-East Scotland and Shetland Islands, North Weddell Sea, Isles of Scilly, Southern North Sea (Norfolk Bank) over the period 19 April 1999 – 25 May 2001. The data were collected by both shipboard sensors and those attached to the Autosub (Autonomous Underwater Vehicle) package. Shipboard data collection included deployment of a conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) package with attached auxiliary sensors. Lowered acoustic Dopper current profilers (LADCPs) were also attached to the CTD frame, while discrete water samples were collected from the CTD stations. Oceanographic, bathymetric and sediment data were collected along the ship’s track. Autosub measurements included standard environmental parameters and acoustic instruments were used to measure ocean bottom relief at high resolution. A camera was also attached to the vehicle, permitting the collection of detailed photographs of the seabed. The broad aims of the Autosub Programme are the collection of interdisciplinary data sets that cannot be obtained by research ships, and demonstration to the scientific and wider user community of the usefulness of an AUV. Investigators: David A Smeed, Kate Stansfield, Julian Overnell, Kenny D Black, Peter Statham, Chris German, Andrew S. Brierley, Paul G. Fernandes, Mark A. Brandon, Alex Cunningham, Peter Burkill, Glen Tarran, Prof. Mike Collins, Dr George Voulgaris, Dr John Trowbridge, Dr Eugene Terray, Steve A Thorpe and Thomas Osborn. The British Oceanographic Data Centre holds the Autosub navigation files, CTD and ADCP data for each of the missions listed above. The data are contained as high resolution time series. The data are presently being processed and have not been fully quality controlled. The Autosub science missions brought together researchers and engineers from a number of UK institutions, with the project being coordinated by the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton.