During the past decade the intention has been to observe changes in rate and state variables within the entire water column and benthos for a wide range of biogeochemically significant features in the centre of the Porcupine Abyssal Plain. The site appears to satisfy many of the conditions for simplicity, it lies well away from regions where physical gradients are strong and is in the middle of one of the biogeochemical provinces. The seabed is very flat over large areas (4800m depth) and there is no evidence of significant advective supply of material. Below the upper mixed layer currents are in general northerly and of low velocity.  The depth of winter mixing is large and variable (300-800m) and this facilitates research into the effects of the most important driving force on upper ocean biogeochemistry: nutrient supply. There is a substantial data base from previous programs on which to build: It is about 350Km to the northeast of the site of the JGOFS North Atlantic Bloom Experiment in 1989 (see Deep Sea Research volume 40 1-2) and the continuing work by IFM, Kiel. It was the focus of the EU BENGAL program from 1998-2001 (See Progress in Oceanography volume 50 1-4) and is at the northern boundary of the current French POMME program. Ships of opportunity contribute significantly with frequent transects by the Continuous Plankton Recorder since 1949 and currently PCO2 transects under the EU program CAVASSOO. It is a focus of the NOCS Ocean Biogeochemistry and Ecosystems Research Group research program BICEP the which draws the link between upper ocean processes and the deep ocean benthos where there has been a major biological regime shift in the mid 1990's.

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