RI ILICO

BGC-Argo

The Biogeochemical-Argo (BGC-Argo) project supports the French contribution to the establishment of the global network of biogeochemical profiling floats of the international BGC-Argo program, whose scientific and implementation plan was published in 2016 (pdf link).

In practice, this involves acquiring bio-optical sensors, calibrating them and implementing them on Argo profiling floats distributed to the national community as part of the LEFE-GMMC call for tenders. The BGC-Argo floats are equipped with biogeochemical and bio-optical sensors capable of measuring oxygen, nitrate, chlorophyll, suspended particles, pH, illumination available for photosynthesis and irradiance at certain wavelengths. More information on the BGC-Argo website about these measures and their justification.

This project, led by LOV researchers (IMEV), therefore also aims to promote the appropriation of these new observation technologies within the national community to serve an emerging need. It is also to provide the concerned national teams with support for the deployment of floats, their management (i.e. communication), quality control (QC), accessibility to Chlorophyll-a data and matchups and other satellite products associated with the emergence of the floats. More generally, this request is part of the SNO Argo-France, SOERE CTD-O2, ERIC Euro-Argo, follows the recommendations of the International Ocean Colour Coordinating Group (IOCCG, 2011) and now the international BGC-Argo program.
Within the ODATIS Ocean Pole, BGC-Argo data are distributed by CDS-IS-Coriolis in collaboration with the teams of CDS-IS-IMEV.