Three decades of continuous ocean observations in North Atlantic Spanish waters: The RADIALES time series project, context, achievements and challenges. (November 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Valdés, Luis; Bode, Antonio; Latasa, Mikel; Nogueira, Enrique; Somavilla, Raquel; Varela, Marta M.; González-Pola, César; Casas, Gerardo
• Is Part Of: Progress in oceanography. Volume 198(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-11
• Subjects: Time-series -- Ship-based observations -- Baselines -- Trends -- N-NW Spain -- Ocean climate -- Hydrography -- Plankton; AGL Oceanic-atmospheric buoy Augusto González Linares -- ALOHA A Long-term Oligotrophic Habitat Assessment -- AVHRR Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer -- BATS Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study -- CalCOFI California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations -- CARIACO Carbon Retention in a Colored Ocean -- CLIVAR Climate Variability and Predictability -- CTD Conductivity, Temperature and Depth sensors -- EMB Ecosystem Based Management -- EMODnet European Marine Observation and Data Network -- EOVs Essential Ocean Variables -- ESTOC European Station for Time series in the Ocean Canary Islands -- EuroGOOS European Global Ocean Observing System -- EuroSITES European Open Ocean Observatory Network -- GDAC Global Data Assembly Centers -- GLOBEC Global Ocean Ecosystem Dynamics -- GOOS Global Ocean Observing System -- HOT Hawaii Ocean Time-series -- ICES International Council for the Exploration of the Sea -- IEO Instituto Español de Oceanografía -- IFREMER Institut Français de Recherche pour l'Exploitation de la Mer -- IGBP International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme -- IGMETS International Group for Marine Ecological Time Series -- IMBER Integrated Marine Biogeochemistry and Ecosystem Research -- IOC Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission -- IPCC Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change -- IROC ICES Report on Ocean Climate -- JOGFS Joint Global Ocean Flux Study -- MSFD European Marine Strategy Framework Directive -- MSP Marine Spatial Planning -- NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration -- OceanSites Time series Environment observation System -- R+D+i Research and development and innovation -- RADIALES Estudio de las series históricas de datos oceanográficos -- RAIA Oceanic observatory for the Iberian shelf -- SATS Santander Atlantic Time-Series -- SCOR Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research -- SeaDataNet Pan-European Infrastructure for Ocean & Marine Data Management -- SST Sea Surface Temperature -- UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization -- US NDBC United States National Data Buoy Center -- VACLAN/RADPROF Variabilidad climática en el Atlántico Norte/RADIALES Profundos -- WOA World Ocean Assessment; Oceanography -- Periodicals; 551.4605
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pocean.2021.102671
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0079-6611

Abstract

Highlights: RADIALES constitutes the longest and more complete time series project in North Atlantic Spanish waters. Baselines defined by RADIALES series are instrumental to assess ecosystem variability and change. RADIALES contribution to international databases helps to get a more coherent understanding of ocean ecosystems. RADIALES exemplifies the value of basic research for a correct management of environmental resources. Abstract: Ship-based time-series observations provide crucial data for understanding marine ecosystems, improving decision making in ocean and coastal management. However, only a few time series survive for more than a decade. RADIALES is one of the longest multidisciplinary programs in operation in the northern and northwestern coast of Spain. In the last 30 years, this program collected monthly data on physical, chemical and plankton observations in an array of five sections of stations representative of upwelling and stratified dynamics. Here, the main achievements, including key contributions to ecosystem conservation policies, are summarized. The development of this program, in line with similar initiatives in other countries, included phases focused on the study of seasonality, on comparative analysis, and lately on the analysis of decadal variability and regime shifts. Furthermore, in recent years there was a substantial improvement in the identification of plankton species by genomics. Among the main findings of RADIALES are the quantification of ocean warming at subsurface layers, the determination of climatologies in thermohaline, biogeochemical and biological variables, the inventory of plankton species (from bacteria to zooplankton) and the identification of regionally coherent regime shifts. Baselines defined by RADIALES series were instrumental for the assessment of environmental impacts (e.g. oil spills) and for the support of environmental policies (e.g. Marine Strategy Framework Directive). By contributing to international databases, data from programs as RADIALES combined with new instrumental observations will help to develop a more coherent and comprehensive understanding of the ocean ecosystems, enhancing our ability to detect and forecast risks.