Instruments are being used to collect meteorological and spectral radiometric measurements from a buoy tower. Near real-time data have been sent to shore and to a nearby ship using acoustic and RF and satellite telemetry systems. The high temporal resolution, long-term data collected from the mooring provide important information concerning episodic and periodic processes ranging in scale from minutes to years. For example, short nitrate pulses or injections and associated biological events have been observed in the mooring data sets, that are not resolvable in the shipboard data set. Studies of hurricanes, which have passed over the mooring, are also underway.
Ground truthing of satellite data is another important component.
BTM participants come from many U.S. and some international institutions. Several modeling as well as technological and scientific programs utilize the BTM and its data streams.