A study into global warming 15 miles off the coast of Bermuda has been given a grant of $5.3 million from the US National Science Foundation.

The initiative — Bermuda Atlantic Time-Series (BATS) — researches patterns in ocean processes and climate change and is the largest study of its kind in the world.

BATS was set up by Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS) in 1988 as an expansion of the carbon cycle data programme Hydrostation S, which was started in 1954 as the world's first significant deep-ocean time series.

It enables scientists to take regular, comprehensive measurements from the same spot in the ocean over a lengthy period of time to identify changes.

A press release from BIOS says the grant, which is for the next five years, underlines the value of BATS to the broader oceanographic community.

President and director of BIOS Tony Knap said: "The BIOS time-series has proven invaluable in revealing the complex interrelationships between biological diversity and biological and chemical processes in the ocean, and is now BIOS' largest resident research programme."

He said continued support for the programme was vital at a time when the time-series is becoming increasingly useful.

A comment attributed to the National Science Foundation said: "One has few qualms about suggesting continuation of the BATS time-series programme because it is run quite effectively by excellent scientists and there is every reason to be proud to continue funding."

The statement also pointed to a comment from NSF's review of BIOS' proposal for continued funding: "Discontinuing successful time-series stations at a time when concern and excitement is rising about the effects of global warming and CO2 on climate would be a disaster."