Atlantic Zone Off-Shelf Monitoring Program (AZOMP)

This program collects and analyzes data from the continental slope and the deep waters of the northwestern Atlantic Ocean.

It’s led by the Ocean and Ecosystem Sciences Division of the Bedford Institute of Oceanography. The program exists as a deeper-water complement to the Atlantic Zone Monitoring Program.

Research contributions

Physical, chemical and biological oceanographic observations help us to monitor:

  • the global climate system
  • variability in the ocean climate
  • ecosystems off Atlantic Canada
  • plankton affecting regional climate

The Atlantic Zone Off-shelf Monitoring Program contributes to international ocean observation, climate and carbon programs, such as the:

  • Global Ocean Observation System
  • Climate Variability and Prediction Project
  • International Ocean Carbon Coordination Project
  • Global Ocean Ship-based Hydrographic Investigations Program

Components of the program

The program’s 3 primary components are the:

  1. Labrador Sea Monitoring Program
  2. Scotian Slope/Rise Monitoring Program
  3. Argo Float Program

Labrador Sea Monitoring Program

The Labrador Sea Monitoring Program is the largest component of this program. It collects and analyzes physical, chemical and biological observations on an oceanographic section across the Labrador Sea, referred to as the AR7W Line.

Scotian Slope/Rise Monitoring Program

The Scotian Slope/Rise Monitoring Program collects and analyzes physical, chemical and biological observations over the Scotian Slope and Rise at deep-water stations. These stations are:

  • referred to as the eXtended Halifax Line (XHL)
  • added to the offshore end of the Atlantic Zone Monitoring Program's Halifax Line

Argo Float Program

Locations of AZOMP stations, AZMP stations and sections, and Argo floats as of 19 June 2009.
Locations of AZOMP stations, AZMP stations and sections, and Argo floats as of 19 June 2009.

Temperature and salinity profiles from the Argo Float Program are used to complement observations from AR7W and XHL. This research contributes to the International Argo Program which has over 3000 subsurface floats drifting in the world's ocean. These floats relay temperature and salinity profiles from 2000 m to the sea surface via satellite.

The following map captures information as of June 19, 2009. It shows the location of:

  • Argo floats
  • stations for the Atlantic Zone Off-shelf Monitoring Program (AZOMP)
  • stations and sections for the Atlantic Zone Monitoring Program (AZMP)

Contact information

Send your questions about the program to the AZOMP mailbox.