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BODC Cruise Metadata Report for RRS Discovery (74E3) cruise D350

Introduction

This report collates information from the BODC cruise inventory and oceanographic databases. It presents

Cruise Inventory Information

Long name RRS Discovery (74E3) cruise D350
Short name D350
Objectives and Narrative The primary production performed by microscopic photosynthetic organisms called phytoplankton living in the upper ocean forms a major component of the natural carbon cycle. Consequently, it is important to have a detailed understanding of the environmental factors driving variability in phytoplankton production. The availability of a variety of nutrients is thought to exert a fundamental control on phytoplankton growth in many parts of the ocean. Recent work by our group and some others has suggested that iron might even be playing a role in the high latitude North Atlantic, a region previously thought to be iron replete. D350 thus forms the first part of a 2 cruise operation planned to be undertaken during 2010, the second cruise being D354 in July-August. The overall programme (funded by a NERC standard grant) aims to significantly increase our understanding of iron biogeoschemistry in this important oceanic region. The two cruises were intended to sample important different phases of the seasonal cycle in a region which is typified by a large annual phytoplankton bloom which is responsible for significant carbon export from the upper ocean.

The RRS Discovery departed on cruise D350 from King George V dock, Govan, UK at 1215 on Monday 26th April 2010 and docked in Reykjavik Iceland after 14 days at sea on Sunday 9th May. During the cruise all scientific work was recorded on GMT and ship time was altered from BST (GMT+1hr) to GMT on 28th April.. A total of 9 stations were occupied from 29th April - 8th May 2010, with one shakedown station and 8 principal scientific sampling stations. After an initial long passage including the shakedown station and regularly underway sampling for nutrients, chlorophyll and trace metals, intensive over the side scientific work commenced on 1st May, with one major station being occupied daily from 1st May - 8th May inclusive. Once commenced at 1200 on 28th April underway sampling was maintained while off station at hourly intervals for all parameters other than metals, the latter being collected at 2 hourly intervals. In general, stations were commenced at night (typically between 2300 and 0300) and consisted of multiple CTD casts, using both a stainless steel and a titanium rosette frame, zooplankton net hauls, and Stand Alone Pump Systems (SAPS) deployments.

A trace metal clean tow fish was also deployed throughout the cruise starting at 0715 on 28th April with samples being collected every 2 hours whilst off station from 1200 on 28th April through to 8th May. Water from the epoxy coated fish was pumped directly into a clean chemistry container using a Teflon pump system through acid washed PVC tubing. A wide variety of samples were collected from both the underway supplies and during CTD stations. Although some parameters were measured at sea, the majority of samples will be returned to shore laboratories for analysis.

Experimental work was also performed on the cruise to measure the biological response to both artificial manipulation of the availability of the micronutrient iron and grazing pressure. Measurements of the uptake rate of various substrates was further performed using a variety of tracer techniques. The towed undulating sensor system Seasoar was also deployed twice on the cruise. An APEX float was also deployed during the cruise at the end of occupation of the second major station.
Ship RRS Discovery
Departure Port Govan, United Kingdom
Departure Date 2010-04-26
Arrival Port Reykjavík, Iceland
Arrival Date 2010-05-09
Principal Scientist(s) C Mark Moore (National Oceanography Centre, Southampton)
Responsible Organisation National Oceanography Centre, Southampton
Associated Project(s) Fe biogeochem in high lat NA
IHB Sea Areas Visited North East Atlantic Ocean (limit 40W)
Marsden Squares Visited 182/183/184/218/219/220
Work Area Description North Atlantic Ocean, Irminger and Iceland Basins.
Unable to lookup cruise bounds at this time
Work Area Bounding Polygon
Southern Limit unknown
Northern Limit unknown
Western Limit unknown
Eastern Limit unknown

Cruise Inventory Datasets

Physical oceanography  
CTD stations Quantity: number of stations = 11
Description: Titanium rosette framed CTD casts, multiple deployments at 9 stations. Sensors: T, S, pressure, chlorophyll fluorescence, transmittance, dissolved oxygen, LADCP, backscatter  
CTD stations Quantity: number of stations = 17
Description: Stainless steel rosette framed CTD casts, multiple deployments at 9 stations (see figure). Sensors: T, S, pressure, chlorophyll fluorescence, transmittance, dissolved oxygen, LADCP  
Current profiler (eg ADCP) Quantity: activity duration in days = 11
Description: Shipboard ADCP measurements  
Subsurface temperature and salinity measurements Quantity: number of hauls = 2
Description: Seasoar data. T,S, pressure, chlorophyll fluorescence, phycocyanin fluorescence, phycoerythrin fluorescence, dissolved oxygen, PAR  
Surface measurements underway (T,S) Quantity: activity duration in days = 11
Description: Surface underway measurement system. T, S, chlorophyll fluorescence, transmittance  
Surface measurements underway (T,S) Quantity: number of stations = 7
Description: 72 PIC,POC, Bsi samples from SAPS for analysis at home lab.  
Chemical oceanography  
Alkalinity Quantity: number of stations = 6
Description: Deep water dissolved inorganic carbon/alkalinity profiles from the stainless steel CTD  
Isotopes Quantity: number of stations = 6
Description: Samples to resolve the vertical profile of particulate isotopic silica were stored frozen and will be analysed ashore using a mass spectrometer.  
Isotopes Quantity: number of stations = 6
Description: Samples to resolve the vertical profile of dissolved isotopic silica were stored at 4oC and will be analysed ashore using a mass spectrometer.  
Isotopes Quantity: number of experiments = 17
Description: 15N & 13C stable isotope incubations on water from 6 light depths from each of 17 shallow (~500m) stainless steel CTD dips.  
Other chemical oceanographic measurements Quantity: number of stations = 6
Description: Deep water dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen sampled from the Stainless Steel CTD  
Other chemical oceanographic measurements Quantity: number of stations = 7
Description: 90 Th samples from rosette, Beta radioactivity on vertical profiles 0-500m depth  
Other chemical oceanographic measurements Quantity: number of samples = 49
Description: Free Fe ligand concentration, TiCTD samples  
Other chemical oceanographic measurements Quantity: number of samples = 49
Description: Total Fe ligand concentration, TiCTD samples  
Oxygen Quantity: number of stations = 9
Description: Vertical profiles of dissolved oxygen analysed with a Metrohm Titrino using an amperometric end point detection.  
Phosphate Quantity: number of experiments = 2
Description: Microzooplankton grazing incubation experiments: samples collected directly from TM clean Niskin bottles.  
Phosphate Quantity: number of samples = 8
Description: Aerosol samples, collected on acid-washed filters for Alex Baker (UEA) using a high-volume pump. As above, samples collected under favourable wind conditions over a period of not more than 48 hours. Filters stored frozen.  
Phosphate Quantity: number of stations = 9
Description: Vertical profiles as well as underway samples and experimental samples were frozen for analysis by a segmented flow autoanalyser on shore.  
Radioactivity Quantity: number of experiments = 9
Description: 55Fe uptake experiments carried out for 9 experiments from the surface. 7 24 h experiments and 2 5 day experiments.  
Silicate Quantity: number of experiments = 2
Description: Microzooplankton grazing incubation experiments: samples collected directly from TM clean Niskin bottles.  
Silicate Quantity: number of stations = 9
Description: Vertical profiles as well as underway samples and experimental samples were analysed on board using a Skalar San+ segmented flow autoanalyser.  
Silicate Quantity: number of samples = 340
Description: Chlorophyll pigment, filtered 137 UW stations + 17 CTD casts x 6 depths for total & >5micrometre fractions  
Total - N Quantity: number of stations = 9
Description: Vertical profiles as well as underway samples and experimental samples were analysed on board using a Skalar San+ segmented flow autoanalyser.  
Total - N Quantity: number of experiments = 2
Description: Microzooplankton grazing incubation experiments: samples collected directly from TM clean Niskin bottles.  
Total - N Quantity: number of samples = 16
Description: SAPS (Stand Alone in-situ Pumping System) was used to collect size-fractionated particulate material.  
Trace elements Quantity: number of experiments = 6
Description: 15N stable isotope incubations on towed fish samples for pNO3 in response to Fe  
Trace elements Quantity: number of experiments = 2
Description: Microzooplankton grazing incubation experiments: samples collected directly from TM clean Niskin bottles.  
Contamination  
Trace metals Quantity: number of samples = 73
Description: Total dissolvable iron concentrations, underway samples  
Trace metals Quantity: number of samples = 73
Description: Dissolved (<0.2um) aluminium concentrations, underway samples  
Trace metals Quantity: number of samples = 73
Description: Total dissolvable aluminium concentrations, underway samples  
Trace metals Quantity: number of samples = 73
Description: Dissolved (<0.2um) iron concentrations, underway samples  
Trace metals Quantity: number of samples = 97
Description: Dissolved (<0.2um) aluminium concentrations, TiCTD samples  
Trace metals Quantity: number of samples = 97
Description: Total dissolvable aluminium concentrations, TiCTD samples  
Trace metals Quantity: number of samples = 97
Description: Dissolved (<0.2um) iron concentrations, TiCTD samples  
Trace metals Quantity: number of samples = 97
Description: Total dissolvable iron concentrations, TiCTD samples  
Biology and fisheries  
Biochemical measurements (eg lipids, amino acids) Quantity: number of samples = 62
Description: Underway particulate heme b sampled from tow Fish  
Biochemical measurements (eg lipids, amino acids) Quantity: number of samples = 200
Description: Protein samples collected for analysis on GFF filters. Samples were colled from (a) the ships non-toxic underway surface sea water system, (b) niskin bottles on a CTD, including 2 depths in the range 0-100m and from the initial, 24hr and end points (5 days) of nutrient addition bioassay experiments.  
Biochemical measurements (eg lipids, amino acids) Quantity: number of stations = 8
Description: Surface water vertical heme b profiles sampled from stainless steel CTD  
Biochemical measurements (eg lipids, amino acids) Quantity: number of stations = 8
Description: Dissolved and particulate siderophores in surface and deep waters sampled from the titanium CTD  
Other biological/fisheries measurement Quantity: number of samples = 34
Description: Bulk environmental DNA samples for haptophyta biodiversity investigations. Filtered from 9 stainless steel shallow CTD stations (2-4 depths + non toxic supply)  
Particulate organic matter (inc POC, PON) Quantity: number of samples = 100
Description: Phytoplankton pigments, filtered from 17 stainless steel shallow (500m) CTD stations (6 depths)  
Particulate organic matter (inc POC, PON) Quantity: number of samples = 100
Description: Particulate silica for isotopic measurements. Filtered from 17 stainless steel shallow CTD stations (6 depths)  
Pelagic bacteria/micro-organisms Quantity: number of samples = 10
Description: Aerosol samples, collected on 47mm polycarbonate and polypropylene filters, using low-volume (20-30L/min) pumps.  
Pelagic bacteria/micro-organisms Quantity: number of experiments = 2
Description: Microzooplankton grazing incubation experiments: samples collected directly from TM clean Niskin bottles.  
Pelagic bacteria/micro-organisms Quantity: number of samples = 200
Description: Flow Cytometry (FCM) samples collected to assess the number and type of cells in the size fraction 1-10 micron. Samples were collected from (a) the ships non-toxic underway surface sea water system, (b) niskin bottles on a CTD  
Phytoplankton Quantity: number of samples = 200
Description: 200ml sea water samples preserved with Lugol's solution for subsequenct mircoscopic analysis. Samples were collected from (a) the ships non-toxic underway surface sea water system, (b) niskin bottles on a CTD.  
Phytoplankton Quantity: number of samples = 100
Description: Scanning electron microscope, filtered from 17 stainless steel shallow CTD stations (6 depths)  
Phytoplankton Quantity: number of samples = 100
Description: For microscope enumeration of phytoplankton, collected on PC filters. Filtered from 17 stainless steel shallow CTD stations (6 depths)  
Phytoplankton Quantity: number of samples = 50
Description: Preserved samples for phytoplankton enumeration.  
Phytoplankton Quantity: number of stations = 3
Description: Samples taken from the underway supply whilst on station for kinetic silica uptake experiments were frozen for analysis ashore using a mass spectrometer.  
Phytoplankton Quantity: number of stations = 6
Description: Samples of vertical profiles of silica uptake by diatoms were frozen for analysis ashore using a mass spectrometer.  
Phytoplankton Quantity: number of samples = 46
Description: Sea water samples from towed fish and titanium CTD casts for Pb isotope analysis.  
Phytoplankton Quantity: number of experiments = 2
Description: Microzooplankton grazing incubation experiments: samples collected directly from TM clean Niskin bottles.  
Phytoplankton pigs (eg chlorophyll, fluorescence) Quantity: number of samples = 200
Description: Phytoplankton physiology was measured using a Chelsea MKII FRRf. Samples were collected from (a) the ships non-toxic underway surface sea water system, (b) niskin bottles on a CTD,  
Phytoplankton pigs (eg chlorophyll, fluorescence) Quantity: activity duration in days = 11
Description: Phytoplankton physiology measured using a Chelsea MKI FRRf ion underway system.  
Phytoplankton pigs (eg chlorophyll, fluorescence) Quantity: number of experiments = 2
Description: Microzooplankton grazing incubation experiments: samples collected directly from TM clean Niskin bottles.  
Phytoplankton pigs (eg chlorophyll, fluorescence) Quantity: number of samples = 100
Description: Biogenic silica, filtered from 17 stainless steel shallow CTD stations (6 depths)  
Zoobenthos Quantity: number of samples = 25
Description: CODFISH samples for in situ Hybridization. Filtered from 9 stainless steel shallow CTD stations (2-4 depths + non toxic supply)  
Zooplankton Quantity: number of hauls = 19
Description: Zooplankton net hauls  
Zooplankton Quantity: number of experiments = 4
Description: Gut clearance experiments  
Zooplankton Quantity: number of experiments = 3
Description: Grazing experiments  
Meteorology  
Atmospheric chemistry Quantity: number of samples = 100
Description: Particulate inorganic carbon, filtered from 17 stainless steel shallow (500m) CTD stations (6 depths)  
Atmospheric chemistry Quantity: number of samples = 100
Description: Particulate organic carbon & nitrogen, filtered from 17 stainless steel shallow (500m) CTD stations (6 depths)  
Routine standard measurements Quantity: activity duration in days = 11
Description: Sea level pressure, Air temp/humidity, PAR, TIR, Wind speed and direction  

Cruise Inventory Mooring/Buoy Operations

Latitude Longitude Data type Description
60° 4' N 34° 56' W CTD stations APEX float with CTD and backscatter sensor deployed while steaming off station 003 (location 'CIB2')
60° 4' N 34° 56' W Neutrally buoyant floats APEX float with CTD and backscatter sensor deployed while steaming off station 003 (location 'CIB2')

Summary of BODC Data Holdings for the Cruise

National Oceanographic Database

Summary

# Series Instrument Description Parameters
9 Bottle station Dissolved oxygen parameters in the water column
Quality control flags
Reference numbers
Vertical spatial coordinates
25 Bottle station Nitrate concentration parameters in the water column
Quality control flags
Reference numbers
Silicate concentration parameters in the water column
Vertical spatial coordinates
28 CTD/STD cast Chlorophyll pigment concentrations in water bodies
Density of the water column
Dissolved oxygen parameters in the water column
Reference numbers
Salinity of the water column
Temperature of the water column
Transmittance and attenuance of the water column
Vertical spatial coordinates

Note: Parameter terms are taken from the BODC Parameter Discovery Vocabulary XML (SKOS)

Full List

BODC Reference Instrument Description Date/Time Location  
1228642 CTD/STD cast 2010-04-29 13:10Z to 2010-04-29 13:34Z 59° 0' N, 24° 12' W Click for more
1228654 CTD/STD cast 2010-05-01 04:45Z to 2010-05-01 05:00Z 60° 58' N, 34° 59' W Click for more
1228666 CTD/STD cast 2010-05-01 06:53Z to 2010-05-01 07:52Z 60° 58' N, 34° 57' W Click for more
1228678 CTD/STD cast 2010-05-01 22:36Z to 2010-05-01 23:49Z 60° 0' N, 35° 0' W Click for more
1228691 CTD/STD cast 2010-05-02 08:01Z to 2010-05-02 08:17Z 60° 1' N, 34° 57' W Click for more
1228709 CTD/STD cast 2010-05-03 03:15Z to 2010-05-03 04:03Z 60° 0' N, 32° 0' W Click for more
1228710 CTD/STD cast 2010-05-03 06:49Z to 2010-05-03 07:03Z 60° 0' N, 31° 58' W Click for more
1228722 CTD/STD cast 2010-05-04 06:34Z to 2010-05-04 06:51Z 59° 59' N, 29° 0' W Click for more
1228734 CTD/STD cast 2010-05-04 08:38Z to 2010-05-04 09:07Z 60° 0' N, 29° 0' W Click for more
1228746 CTD/STD cast 2010-05-05 04:03Z to 2010-05-05 04:47Z 59° 56' N, 26° 12' W Click for more
1228758 CTD/STD cast 2010-05-05 07:17Z to 2010-05-05 07:30Z 59° 55' N, 26° 7' W Click for more
1228771 CTD/STD cast 2010-05-06 04:05Z to 2010-05-06 04:53Z 60° 51' N, 21° 45' W Click for more
1228783 CTD/STD cast 2010-05-06 07:20Z to 2010-05-06 07:35Z 60° 51' N, 21° 45' W Click for more
1228795 CTD/STD cast 2010-05-07 02:09Z to 2010-05-07 02:51Z 61° 59' N, 20° 0' W Click for more
1228802 CTD/STD cast 2010-05-07 06:44Z to 2010-05-07 06:59Z 62° 0' N, 20° 0' W Click for more
1228814 CTD/STD cast 2010-05-08 02:08Z to 2010-05-08 02:37Z 63° 8' N, 19° 54' W Click for more
1228826 CTD/STD cast 2010-05-08 05:31Z to 2010-05-08 05:47Z 63° 7' N, 19° 55' W Click for more
1228838 CTD/STD cast 2010-04-29 15:14Z to 2010-04-29 15:34Z 59° 0' N, 24° 12' W Click for more
1228851 CTD/STD cast 2010-05-01 03:07Z to 2010-05-01 03:11Z 60° 59' N, 35° 0' W Click for more
1228863 CTD/STD cast 2010-05-01 13:30Z to 2010-05-01 14:34Z 60° 56' N, 34° 52' W Click for more
1228875 CTD/STD cast 2010-05-02 09:35Z to 2010-05-02 10:34Z 60° 2' N, 34° 57' W Click for more
1228887 CTD/STD cast 2010-05-03 11:59Z to 2010-05-03 12:51Z 59° 59' N, 31° 55' W Click for more
1228899 CTD/STD cast 2010-05-04 04:33Z to 2010-05-04 04:38Z 60° 0' N, 29° 0' W Click for more
1228906 CTD/STD cast 2010-05-04 13:55Z to 2010-05-04 14:27Z 59° 58' N, 29° 1' W Click for more
1228918 CTD/STD cast 2010-05-05 11:38Z to 2010-05-05 12:23Z 59° 54' N, 26° 2' W Click for more
1228931 CTD/STD cast 2010-05-06 12:04Z to 2010-05-06 12:57Z 60° 50' N, 21° 44' W Click for more
1228943 CTD/STD cast 2010-05-07 10:44Z to 2010-05-07 11:28Z 61° 56' N, 20° 2' W Click for more
1228955 CTD/STD cast 2010-05-08 09:42Z to 2010-05-08 10:12Z 63° 4' N, 19° 52' W Click for more
1989226 Bottle station 2010-04-29 13:10Z 59° 0' N, 24° 12' W Click for more
1989238 Bottle station 2010-05-01 04:45Z 60° 58' N, 34° 59' W Click for more
1989251 Bottle station 2010-05-01 06:52Z 60° 58' N, 34° 57' W Click for more
1989263 Bottle station 2010-05-01 22:33Z 60° 0' N, 35° 0' W Click for more
1989275 Bottle station 2010-05-02 07:57Z 60° 1' N, 34° 57' W Click for more
1989287 Bottle station 2010-05-03 03:12Z 60° 0' N, 31° 59' W Click for more
1989299 Bottle station 2010-05-03 06:47Z 60° 0' N, 31° 58' W Click for more
1989306 Bottle station 2010-05-04 06:32Z 59° 59' N, 29° 0' W Click for more
1989318 Bottle station 2010-05-04 08:36Z 60° 0' N, 29° 0' W Click for more
1989331 Bottle station 2010-05-05 04:00Z 59° 56' N, 26° 10' W Click for more
1989343 Bottle station 2010-05-05 07:15Z 59° 56' N, 26° 7' W Click for more
1989355 Bottle station 2010-05-06 04:02Z 60° 51' N, 21° 46' W Click for more
1989367 Bottle station 2010-05-06 07:18Z 60° 51' N, 21° 45' W Click for more
1989379 Bottle station 2010-05-07 02:06Z 61° 59' N, 20° 0' W Click for more
1989380 Bottle station 2010-05-07 06:40Z 62° 0' N, 20° 0' W Click for more
1989392 Bottle station 2010-05-08 02:05Z 63° 8' N, 19° 54' W Click for more
1989411 Bottle station 2010-05-08 05:29Z 63° 7' N, 19° 55' W Click for more
1989423 Bottle station 2010-04-29 13:10Z 59° 0' N, 24° 12' W Click for more
1989435 Bottle station 2010-05-01 06:52Z 60° 58' N, 34° 57' W Click for more
1989447 Bottle station 2010-05-01 22:33Z 60° 0' N, 35° 0' W Click for more
1989459 Bottle station 2010-05-03 03:12Z 60° 0' N, 31° 59' W Click for more
1989460 Bottle station 2010-05-04 08:36Z 60° 0' N, 29° 0' W Click for more
1989472 Bottle station 2010-05-05 04:00Z 59° 56' N, 26° 10' W Click for more
1989484 Bottle station 2010-05-06 04:02Z 60° 51' N, 21° 46' W Click for more
1989496 Bottle station 2010-05-07 02:06Z 61° 59' N, 20° 0' W Click for more
1989503 Bottle station 2010-05-08 02:05Z 63° 8' N, 19° 54' W Click for more
1989515 Bottle station 2010-05-01 13:27Z 60° 56' N, 34° 52' W Click for more
1989527 Bottle station 2010-05-02 09:35Z 60° 2' N, 34° 57' W Click for more
1989539 Bottle station 2010-05-03 12:00Z 60° 3' N, 32° 12' W Click for more
1989540 Bottle station 2010-05-04 13:51Z 59° 58' N, 29° 1' W Click for more
1989552 Bottle station 2010-05-05 11:37Z 59° 54' N, 26° 2' W Click for more
1989564 Bottle station 2010-05-06 00:00Z 60° 50' N, 21° 44' W Click for more
1989576 Bottle station 2010-05-07 10:40Z 61° 57' N, 20° 1' W Click for more
1989588 Bottle station 2010-05-08 09:38Z 63° 5' N, 19° 52' W Click for more

Project Database

# Events Gear Type Parameters Held
72 All plastic clean surface pumped supply Total metal concentrations in water bodies
Dissolved metal concentrations in the water column
11 No parameter data available
144 Sample taken from ship's non-toxic supply
17 CTD frame plus rosette sampler Dissolved oxygen parameters in the water column
Salinity of the water column
Silicate concentration parameters in the water column
Nitrate concentration parameters in the water column

Note: Parameter terms are taken from the BODC Parameter Discovery Vocabulary XML (SKOS)

References

Track Charts

Track Chart

Reports

Cruise Report