The 2026 release of the Surface Ocean CO₂ Atlas (SOCAT) marks a landmark moment for ocean carbon science and for the TRICUSO project. With 44 million quality-controlled measurements now publicly available, SOCAT v2026 offers an unprecedented window into the health of the ocean carbon sink.
For the first time, a new approach to characterise surface ocean pCO₂ variability using observations from multiple Research Infrastructures, which disentangles the anthropogenic and circulation-driven contributions to observed pCO₂ changes, has been successfully validated at reference ocean time-series stations and extended to the Southern Ocean.
Partner NOC’s lab-on-chip technology miniaturises analytical laboratory methods into compact autonomous sensors. For this milestone, the focus has been on the TADIC sensor, which combines two carbonate-system measurements within a single autonomous lab-on-chip platform…
Wind drives ocean circulation, mediates the air and sea gas exchange and shapes biogeochemical processes. Yet, we have a shortage of direct wind measurements in the Southern Ocean where the most important conditions are the hardest to observe. See how TRICUSO is addressing this challenge by trialing profiling floats equipped with passive acoustic sensors.
The TRICUSO project and members of its consortium made a healthy splash in the heavily populated waters of OSM26. Held in Glasgow, Scotland, this was the first time the prestigious conference took place outside the United States, and it was a welcome setting for two town halls, a co-chaired session titled The Southern Ocean Carbon Sink: processes, observations, and change and a poster talk.
In the game of ocean observation bingo, it’s fair to say Richard’s card is relatively full and yet somehow his capacity seemingly expands to accommodate new challenges. So, we thought the tide was in a good place to cast a few rounds of questions and learn a little more about Richard and his thoughts on TRICUSO as it hits its year two stride.
TRICUSO’s first video showcases the beautiful scenery of the Antarctic region and focuses on early project stories. It features interviews with consortium scientists discussing the need to expand the capacity for observation in the Southern Ocean where an increase in data is needed to help address the discrepancy between data and models used for forecasting. The video also introduces the project’s ambitions to innovate sensor technology and engage the support of citizen science platforms—racing yachts and tourist vessels—sailing in the Southern Ocean.
The oceanographic community has made great strides over the past three decades in developing physical and biogeochemical open-ocean observing capacity. However, a more holistic understanding of marine ecosystem function and change requires the integration of large-scale, sustained biological and ecological observations. Over the last few years, pilot projects in the USA, Japan and Australia have begun to incorporate routine biological measurements into GO-SHIP cruises. These pilot projects form the basis for an incipient global Bio-GO-SHIP sustained biological ocean observing program. TRICUSO colleagues Sophie Clayton (NOC) and Alice Soccodato (EMBRC) will be presenting a Town Hall on Bio-GO-SHIP: Establishing an International Program to Deliver Sustained Open-Ocean Biological Data on Wednesday 25 February at the Ocean Sciences Meeting in Glasgow, Scotland. This Town Hall aims to bring together current and prospective contributors to the international Bio-GO-SHIP program to: Highlight Bio-GO-SHIP successes, data and scientific contributions and introduce upcoming activities. Engage potential contributors from GO-SHIP nations not currently running Bio-GO-SHIP projects, including protocol and sample sharing, and cruise participation. Pave the way to establishing an international Bio-GO-SHIP committee to monitor, advocate and regularly review biological and ecological variables. Read more about this session here.
TRICUSO recently reached a significant project milestone when the inaugural Steering Committee Meeting for the Surface Ocean CO₂ Observing Network (SOCONET) took place in Bergen, Norway on 16-17 of January to establish the network’s governance structure.
The Ocean Race 2027 will start from its home port of Alicante, Spain, on 17 January 2027 and take the foiling, flying, high-tech IMOCA fleet out of the Mediterranean Sea, down the Atlantic and into the Southern Ocean before rounding Cape Horn and returning to Europe via the Americas. Learn more
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This work was funded by the European Union under grant agreement no. 101188028. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Executive Agency (REA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
