Metadata Report for BODC Series Reference Number 1796792

• Metadata Summary

• Problem Reports

• Data Access Policy

• Narrative Documents

• Project Information

• Data Activity or Cruise Information

• Fixed Station Information

• BODC Quality Flags

• SeaDataNet Quality Flags

Metadata Summary

Problem Reports

No Problem Report Found in the Database

RRS James Clark Ross Cruise JR15005 XBT: Data Quality Report

BODC applied flags where T-5 probe data were greater than 1830m, as this is the maximum wire length for the probe type. All cycles below the bottom seafloor depths, determined by the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO) and echosounder data collected on the ships underway, were also flagged suspect. Additional flags were applied to noisy data.

• Series 1796823 - Flagged from cycle 2722 to end of profile.
• Series 1796835 - Flagged from cycle 1177 to end of profile.

Data Access Policy

Open Data supplied by Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)

You must always use the following attribution statement to acknowledge the source of the information: "Contains data supplied by Natural Environment Research Council."

Narrative Documents

Instrument description

Lockheed Martin Sippican T-5 XBT Probe

The Expendable Bathythermograph system uses a sea water ground. As soon as an electrode within the nose of the expendable probe makes contact with the water, the circuit is complete and temperature or sound velocity data can be telemetered to the ship-board data processing equipment. The T-5 XBT Probe can be used within a maximum depth of 1830 m, with a rated ship speed of 6 knots and has a vertical resolution of 65 cm.

Manufacturer specifications can be found here

RRS James Clark Ross Cruise JR15005 XBT: BODC Processing

BODC Processing

Files were submitted to BODC in .edf format, which can be opened in a text editor.

Files were reformatted to a BODC internal NetCDF file format using BODC established procedures. No conversions were applied to originator data values. Originator variable were mapped to appropriate BODC parameter codes for standardisation purposes, the below table summarises this.

Data were screened using BODC internal software EDSERPLO for data quality purposes. Original dataset which includes the resistance data channel is available upon request.

RRS James Clark Ross Cruise JR15005 XBT: Originator's Processing

Originator's Sampling Protocol

A total of 5 Expendable Bathythermograph's (XBTs) were deployed sporadically during cruise JR15005 to provide sound velocity profiles for input into the multibeam echosounder for calibration purposes. A Lockheed Martin Sippican T-5 XBT probe was used for all deployments.

Originator's Processing

Data were recorded and displayed in real-time using Sea-Air Systems software:

• WinMK21 v2.13.1
• MIK21COEF v2.9.1
• MK21AL v2.14.1

Pre-launch of XBT deployments, metadata were entered into the software and checks were made to ensure the PC time was synced to ship time (GMT). Output files were stored in .edf (ASCII output of profile data) and .RDF files (operational file).

Project Information

South Orkney State of the Antarctic Ecosystem (SO-AntEco)

South Orkney State of the Antarctic Ecosystem (SO-AntEco) project was a British Antarctic Survey (BAS) yearlong funded programme from 20 August 2015 and 24 August 2016 and involved international collaboration with scientists from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), Scientific Committee for Antarctic Research (SCAR), Universities (Bristol, Hull, Liverpool, and Oxford University) and the Natural History Museum (NHM), London.

This project was part of the wider SCAR biological research programme - State of the Antarctic Ecosystem (AntEco). This programme focuses its research on past and present patterns of biodiversity across the Southern Ocean. The broad objectives of the programme is to increase knowledge of biodiversity from genes to ecosystems along with species diversity to infer conservation and management of Antarctic ecosystems using multidisciplinary research approaches in five sectors, led by international scientists:

• Spatial Ecology (Huw Griffiths, British Antarctic Survey)
• Molecular Ecology and Evolution (Jan Strugnell, Latrobe University, Australia)
• Eco informatics and System Biology (Alison Murray, Desert Research Institute, USA)
• Paleoecology (Dominic Hodgson, British Antarctic Survey)
• Impacts, trends and conservation (Annick Wilmotte, University of Liège, Belgium)

SO-AntEco contributes to helping meet these research programmes objectives.

Project Aims and Objectives

The Commission for Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) closed all finfish fisheries around South Orkney in 1989. In 2009 they established the South Orkney Islands Southern Shelf Marine Protected Area (SOISS MPA), the first designated MPA within the high seas.

SO-AntEco investigated diversity inside and outside the SOISS MPA to understand species distribution and composition around the Orkney Islands. The main objectives include:

• To find and identify seafloor animals from around the South Orkney Islands and to name any species new to science.
• To detect any significant differences between the types of species and numbers of animals in different habitats.
• To identify species that are indicative of specific habitat types to help with future habitat mapping.
• To map all vulnerable species found and to report their presence and distribution to relevant stakeholders such as CCAMLR.

Fieldwork involved one cruise on the RRS James Clark Ross JR15005 (February 2015) lead by Principal Scientist, Huw Griffiths, using instrumentation such as swath bathymetry, trawling equipment (Agassiz trawl, Rauschert dredge and Epi-benthic sledge) and shallow underwater camera systems to investigate seafloor habitats.

Data Activity or Cruise Information

Cruise

Complete Cruise Metadata Report is available here

Fixed Station Information

No Fixed Station Information held for the Series

BODC Quality Control Flags

The following single character qualifying flags may be associated with one or more individual parameters with a data cycle:

SeaDataNet Quality Control Flags

The following single character qualifying flags may be associated with one or more individual parameters with a data cycle: