Taking the Pulse of the Gulf of Guinea: OMI Deploys a Biogeochemical Argo Float

During our summer field cruise aboard the GNS Aflao, the Ocean Margins Initiative (OMI) successfully deployed a Biogeochemical Argo (BGC-Argo) float in the Gulf of Guinea. The deployment represents the first BGC-Argo float of its kind in our region, marking an important milestone for ocean observation in the Gulf of Guinea and expanding the capacity to continuously monitor this dynamic and understudied marine environment.

The float adds an autonomous ocean observer to OMI’s growing network of measurements along the Ghanaian coast. Unlike ship-based observations, which provide detailed measurements during individual research cruises, the BGC-Argo float can continue collecting profiles of the ocean long after the GNS Aflao has returned to port. BGC-Argo floats complement conventional Argo measurements of temperature, salinity and pressure with sensors that can measure important biological and chemical properties of the ocean, providing information on processes such as productivity, nutrient dynamics, oxygen conditions and carbon cycling.

The deployment marks another important step in OMI’s effort to build sustained observations of the northern Gulf of Guinea, a highly productive but relatively understudied ocean margin. OMI’s research is focused on understanding the connections between Ghana’s coastal waters and the open ocean, particularly how physical processes such as seasonal upwelling and ocean circulation influence biological productivity, nutrient availability, carbon cycling and the health of marine ecosystems.

By adding sustained autonomous observations to the measurements collected during OMI’s research cruises, the BGC-Argo float will help us build a clearer picture of how the Gulf of Guinea changes through time and how its coastal and offshore waters are connected.