The Bio-GO-SHIP program aims to integrate the latest biological observing technologies into the Global Ocean Ship-based Hydrographic Investigation Program (GO-SHIP, http://go-ship.org/). GO-SHIP runs a global repeat-section effort, wherein reference sections that transect major ocean regions are sampled every decade to observe global changes. Bio-GO-SHIP measurements will include optical, flow cytometric, metagenomic and metatranscriptomic, and particulate sampling. Compared to previous global ocean sequencing efforts, Bio-GO-SHIP will sample biological parameters at high spatial and vertical resolution, with ‘omic samples being taken approximately every degree, or approximately 26.