A Bermudian scientist has made a presentation on the need to monitor changes in the world’s oceans to a committee which advises US president Barack Obama.

Anthony Knap, former director of Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS), told The Royal Gazette it was a “great honour” to deliver his presentation to the President’s Council of Advisors for Science and Technology.

“This was the first time this committee who advise the president on science and technology have dealt with the ocean,” said Dr Knap, who is now director of the Geochemical and Environmental Research Group and the James R Whatley Professor of Geosciences at Texas A&M University.

He spoke to the council about the need for a global ocean observing system to monitor changes in the world’s oceans at the National Academy of Sciences Building in Washington, DC.

According to Texas A&M, Dr Knap is a pioneer in applying technical advances to ocean observing and has introduced a fleet of gliders — autonomous underwater vehicles used to measure physical aspects of oceans, including salinity, temperature, currents and other physical properties — since taking up his post in 2012.

He said: “As the ocean is over 70 percent of the globe and is storing the excess heat, we should have a more organised approach to measuring it, understanding it and conveying information about its health and activity.

“Changes in the oceans directly affect the world around us, including our climate, marine ecosystems and coastlines. We need a sustained global ocean observing system that measures these changes and impacts so that adaptive policies can be put in place.”

Dr Knap said he envisaged a worldwide system of ocean-observing instruments that uses underwater, surface and satellite technologies as a front line defence in preparing the world for the changes occurring in oceans, coasts and atmosphere. “We can only manage what we can measure,” he added.

Dr Knap’s presentation can be viewed here.