Bermuda and the US has been featured in an 18-page meteorological journal.

The January issue of the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society is dedicated to the Oleander Project which, for the last four and a half years, has monitored the Gulf Stream.

The article, written by Tom Rossby of the Graduate School of Oceanography at the University of Rhode Island, noted: "The main interest centres on seasonal and interannual variations in upper-ocean mass transport and their impact on the poleward heat transport.'' The Oleander , which operates between Port Elizabeth, New Jersey, and Hamilton, Bermuda, is equipped with scientific equipment which allows it to measure ocean currents between the surface and 300 metres down.

The Gulf Stream transports vast amounts of heat and mass from low to high latitudes so it is a major factor in maintaining the global heat balance.

The current's stability is under scrutiny because changes in its temperature and volume could significantly impact on the Northern Hemisphere's climate.

So far its readings have shown these factors to be stable.

The Oleander has provided twice weekly samplings of the Gulf Stream since the fall of 1992 enabling scientists to study the variability of the Gulf Stream and the surrounding waters over a variety of timescales and an extended period of time.

Prof. Rossby added: "This ongoing programme illustrates the role commercially operated vessels can play in making repeat observations of the velocity structure (and other parameters) of the ocean on a regular basis.'' THE OLEANDER -- The ship is equipped with scientific equipment which allows it to measure ocean currents.