A research vessel operated by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute (WHOI) will arrive in St. George's today as a replacement for the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Science's (BIOS) Atlantic Explorer now undergoing annual maintenance and upgrades.

The 177-foot cruiser Oceanus, is part of the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System fleet, which also includes the Atlantic Explorer.

The loan will enable BIOS to continue its work on the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study (BATS) without interruption.

BATS was established in 1988 and is now the longest continuous data set of its kind anywhere in the world.

It allows scientists to examine key hydrographic and biological parameters throughout the water column.

Said Mike Lomas, senior research scientist on the BATS programme: "The R/V Oceanus being here is another example of the global collaboration between the US and other countries in support of science to understand the ocean that impacts all of us in nearly every aspect of our lives."

The information collected by BATS has caused oceanographers around the world to re-evaluate their understandings of the ocean's physical, chemical and biological processes.

Since its establishment over 100 years ago, BIOS has maintained close ties with WHOI, collaborating on the time-series study as well as on other projects such as ocean acidification research.

BIOS is an independent marine science organisation founded in 1903 by scientists from Harvard and New York University to take advantage of Bermuda's ideal location for deep-ocean and coral reef research and education.