page_title: North Atlantic Aerosols and Marine Ecosystems Study
section_title: Field Campaigns
hierarchical_section_title: North Atlantic Aerosols and Marine Ecosystems Study / Methodology / Field Campaigns
caption_attribution_description: English: overview of NAAMES methods
context_page_description: The North Atlantic Aerosols and Marine Ecosystems Study was a five-year scientific research program that investigated aspects of phytoplankton dynamics in ocean ecosystems, and how such dynamics influence atmospheric aerosols, clouds, and climate. The study focused on the sub-arctic region of the North Atlantic Ocean, which is the site of one of Earth's largest recurring phytoplankton blooms. The long history of research in this location, as well as relative ease of accessibility, made the North Atlantic an ideal location to test prevailing scientific hypotheses in an effort to better understand the role of phytoplankton aerosol emissions on Earth's energy budget.
  NAAMES was led by scientists from Oregon State University and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. They conducted four field campaigns from 2015-2018 that were designed to target specific phases of the annual phytoplankton cycle: minimum, climax, intermediary decreasing biomass, and increasing intermediary biomass. The campaigns were designed to observe each unique phase, in order to resolve the scientific debates on the timing of bloom formations and the patterns driving annual bloom re-creation.
context_section_description: Four field campaigns were conducted to target the four specific changes during the annual plankton cycle. The four NAAMES field campaigns synchronized data collections from the ship, air, and satellites, and were strategically timed to capture the four unique phases of plankton blooms in the North Atlantic: winter transition, accumulation phase, climax transition, and depletion phase.
  Campaign 1: Winter Transition sampling completed November 5-December 2, 2015
  Campaign 2: Climax Transition sampling completed May 11-June 5, 2016
  Campaign 3: Declining Phase sampling completed August 30-September 24, 2017
  
  Campaign 4: Accumulation Phase sampling completed March 20-April 13, 2018
caption: Schematic of the diverse sampling strategies for NAAMES research campaigns, including satellite sensors, vessel measurements and deployments and aircraft remote sensing. It also depicts key processes, such as phytoplankton booms and aerosol emission and dispersion.
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