1. BOUSSOLE bio-optics time series New developments in the frame of the BIOCAREX project Melek Golbol 1@, Vincenzo Vellucci 1, David Antoine 1, Malika Kheireddine 1, Emanuele Organelli 1, Morvan Barnes 1, Jacqueline Boutin 2, Liliane Merlivat 2, Laurence Beaumont 3, Bernard Gentili 1, Grigor Obolensky 1, Francis Louis 1, Josephine Ras 1, Vincent Taillandier 1. 1 Laboratoire d’Océanographie de Villefranche (LOV), CNRS-UPMC, Villefranche-sur-Mer, France 2 Laboratoire d’Oceanographie et du Climat (LOCEAN), Paris, France 3 Division Technique de l’INSU – CNRS, Meudon, France 1. The BOUSSOLE Project The BOUSSOLE project was initiated in 2000. The goal is to establish a long-term time series of in situ bio-optical measurements (including radiometry, optical properties and the biogeochemical parameters needed for their interpretation) to support calibration of observations by ocean color remote sensing satellites, validation of the geophysical products derived from these observations, and fundamental research in bio-optics. The BOUSSOLE project is built on an optical mooring deployed in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea, which routinely acquires bio-optical data since September 2003. A program of monthly cruises started in July 2001 to make complementary measurements at the mooring site, such as optical profiles and CTD casts with water sampling (analysis of phytoplankton pigments, total suspended matter, and absorption by phytoplankton and colored dissolved organic matter). 3. State-of-the-art Instrumentation ON THE BUOY : 2 hyperspectrals radiometers (OCR- I Satlantic) at 4 et 9 m measuring Ed (305: 3 : 1145) (from January 2012): 2 PCO 2 CARIOCA sensors at 3 and 10m measuring fCO 2, SST, salinity, fluorescence, wind speed and atmospheric pressure (operationnal from July 2013) 2 CTD (Seabird SBE 37) plus optodes (Aanderaa) measuring salinity, temperature and O 2 (from July 2012) DURING THE MONTHLY CRUISE: Additional instrumentation for acquisition of IOP profiles has been deployed (from December 2011). This package includes: 1 hyperspectral absorption meter (Hobilabs a-sphere) measuring absorption (a) (360 : 0:3 : 750). 1 multispectral backscattering meter (Hobilabs Hydroscat-6) measuring backscattering (bb) (420, 442, 488, 550, 620, 700) and fluorescence F (550, 700). 1 multi spectral beam transmissometer (Hobilabs Gamma-4) measuring attenuation (c) (442,488, 550 et 660) 1 CTD (SeaBird SBE 49 Fastcat) measuring salinity, temperature and pressure. 4. NEW ANALYSES – WHAT ARE THE INPUTS? DURING THE MONTHLY CRUISE Samples for analyses of Particulate Organic Carbon and cytometric analysis were performed during 2 years (from end 2011) REFERENCES Antoine, D. et al. 2006 BOUSSOLE: a joint CNRS-INSU, ESA, CNES and NASA Ocean Color Calibration And Validation Activity. NASA Technical memorandum N° 2006–214147, NASA/GSFC, Greenbelt, MD, 61pp. Antoine, D. et al. 2008. The « BOUSSOLE » buoy – A new transparent-to-swell taut mooring dedicated to marine optics : design, tests and performance at sea, Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology, 25, 968-989. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 2. BIOCAREX Project: Objectives The “BIOoptics and CARbon Experiment” project (BIOCAREX) leverages the backbone of BOUSSOLE activities, and introduces new instrumentation (in particular hyperspectral radiometers and pCO2 sensors) and measurements dedicated to new research goals, including analyses of particulate organic carbon and flow cytometry. The overall objective is to better understand the diel variability of optical properties and to use it as a proxy to biogeochemical information such as the net community production (NCP). NCP estimates based on diel changes of the partial pressure of CO2 and oxygen will be compared to those obtained from optical proxies. golbol@obs-vlfr.fr