Ferrybox on Pride of Bilbao - end of a close association

Operation of the National Oceanography Centre - NOC FerryBox system on the P&O Ferries Ltd, MV Pride of Bilbao, ceased on the 28 September 2010, when P&O withdrew their service on the Portsmouth to Bilbao route.

The FerryBox team at the NOC, Southampton would like to express their great gratitude for the considerable assistance that P&O and the crews of the Pride of Bilbao have given them since 2002.

The collaboration between NOCS, P&O Ferries Ltd and the Pride of Bilbao has been an important part of developing the FerryBox concept. The MV Pride of Bilbao and FerryBox are names that are now known worldwide among oceanographic scientists for pioneering measurements that are helping us to better understand the oceans. The growth of such systems around Europe is detailed on the FerryBox.org website hosted by Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht (HZT, formerly GKSS).

This web site will continue in operation providing quick access to the uncalibrated data automatically broadcast from the ship to NOC since 2002. Those requiring calibrated data sets should contact David Hydes and Mark Hartman (djh @ noc.soton.ac.uk; mch @ noc.soton.ac.uk) or BODC.

NOC, Southampton is currently seeking a suitable ship with which to restart their programme of observation between the UK and northern Spain. NOC,Southampton continue to make observations from the Swire Group ship the MV Pacific Celebes (www.noc.soton.ac.uk/snoms) and NOC,Liverpool are working in the Irish Sea (http://coastobs.pol.ac.uk/cobs/ferries/).

2010 Updates

15-February-2010
Data are currently being recorded for temperature, salinity and oxygen. Before the collection of calibration samples on the 15 March sailing a Tuner C3 instrument measuring chloropyll-fluorescence, dissolved organic material (CDOM) and turbidity will be fitted along with a NOCS-Valeport SUV-6 Nitrate sensor.

12-February-2010
Data are again flowing, via satellite from the Pride of Bilbao. These pages will show graphs of the current data.

Ferrybox 2010- Introduction

The FerryBox equipment was first fitted on the P&O Pride of Bilbao in April 2002. Since then data has been transmitted to NOC using the Orbcomm satellite system and displayed on this webpage in real time. (Graphs of data accumulated via the satellite through 2002 to 2006 are available through links above). In 2002 the sensors for measuring water temperature, salinity, and fluorescence were installed. In 2005 extra sensors measuring turbidity, the concentration of dissolved oxygen and the partial pressure of carbon dioxide were fitted along with sensors monitoring the movement of the ship. The graphs on the right below show the raw un-quality controlled data from the ferry as it is being collected over the real-time link. The data may also be down loaded using the links below.

Dolphins and whales are often seen from the Pride of Bilbao. More information can be found by going to the BDRP website

Sea Temperature 2010

Fluorescence 2010

Salinity 2010