Metadata Report for BODC Series Reference Number 1851497
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
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Problem Reports
No Problem Report Found in the Database
Shelf Sea Biogeochemistry RRS Discovery cruise DY021 underway navigation quality control report
Bathymetry
Channel was screened using GEBCO bathymetry as a guide. Several M flags were applied to instances were the values jump to zero. M flags were also applied to the period from 22/03/2015 01:01:30 hours to 22/03/2015 09:55:00 hours and from 24/03/2015 06:38:30 hours to 24/03/2015 07:34:30 hours were values jump to a constant value (14.54 m).
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
Kongsberg EA640 Single Beam Echosounder
The EA640 single beam echosounder comprises a standard EA600 (fitted with a standard transducer) and an additional, non-standard 10 kHz transducer.
The standard EA600 is a single beam echosounder with full ocean depth capability designed for bathymetric surveys. It measures water depth by monitoring the travel time of an acoustic signal that is transmitted from the ship, reflected off the seabed and received back at the ship.
The main components of the system are hull-mounted transducers linked to general purpose transceivers (GPTs). Up to four GPTs, each controlling one or more transducers, may be operated simultaneously. The GPT generates a signal, which is transmitted into the water column as an acoustic pulse by the transducer array, and the returning echo is recorded by the GPT. GPTs are in turn linked to a combined display and processor, where adjustments (such as sound-speed corrections) may be applied to the data. Available frequencies span from 12 to 710 kHz, and each GPT may operate at a separate frequency. A variety of transducers is available for water depths up to 11,000 m.
The EA600 stores all data internally but has a USB port which allows the possibility of connecting a CD-ROM/DVD drive to read and write the data. All echo data can be stored as files: bitmap, sample, depth or sidescan data.
In deeper waters, the EA600 supports a multipulse function, allowing for a higher pinger rate. While on passive mode, the pinger is normally attached to a device, with the purpose of tracking and displaying its current depth.
Specifications for a standard EA600 echosounder
Maximum Ping rate | 20 Hz |
Resolution | 1 cm |
Accuracy | 1 cm at 710 and 200 kHz |
Operating frequencies | 1 or 2 kHz |
Single Beam frequencies | 12, 18, 33, 38, 50, 70, |
Dynamic range | 160 dB |
Further details can be found in the manufacturer's specification sheet for the standard EA600 system.
Shelf Sea Biogeochemistry RRS Discovery cruise DY021 underway navigation instrumentation
Instrumentation
The following scientific navigational and bathymetry systems were fitted.
Manufacturer | Model | Function | Comments |
Trimble Applanix | POS MV 320 V5 | GPS | general use and secondary GPS |
Kongsberg | EA640 | Single beam echo sounder | - |
The echo sounder was located approximately 6.5 m below sea level when the drop-keels were retracted. The Kongsberg EA640 single-beam echo sounder was a test system (not in production). It was an EA600 series echo sounder fitted with a nominal 12 kHz transducer and a test 10 kHz transducer. It was programmed with nominal 1500 m/s sound velocity. Only the 10 kHz transducer was logged by TECHSAS and the RVS level C systems. Data Processing Procedures
Trimble Applanix Position and Orientation Systems for Marine Vessels (POSMV)
The Position and Orientation Systems for Marine Vessels (POSMV) is a real time kinematic (RTK) and differential global positioning system (DGPS) receiver for marine navigation. It includes an inertial system that provides platform attitude information. The instrument provides accurate location, heading, velocity, attitude, heave, acceleration and angular rate measurements.
There are three models of Applanix POSMV, the POS MV 320, POS MV Elite and the POS MV WaveMaster. POS MV 320 and POS MV WaveMaster are designed for use with multibeam sonar systems, enabling adherence to IHO (International Hydrographic Survey) standards on sonar swath widths of greater than ± 75 degrees under all dynamic conditions. The POS MV Elite offers true heading accuracy without the need for dual GPS installation and has the highest degree of accuracy in motion measurement for marine applications.
Specifications
POS MV 320
Componenet | DGPS | RTK | GPS Outage |
---|---|---|---|
Position | 0.5 - 2 m 1 | 0.02 - 0.10 m 1 | <2.5 m for 30 seconds outages, <6 m for 60 seconds outages |
Roll and Pitch | 0.020° | 0.010° | 0.020° |
True Heading | 0.020° with 2 m baseline 0.010° with 4 m baseline | - | Drift <1° per hour (negligible for outages <60 seconds) |
Heave | 5 cm or 5% 2 | 5 cm or 5% 2 | 5 cm or 5% 2 |
POS MV WaveMaster
Accuracy | DGPS | RTK | GPS Outage |
---|---|---|---|
Position | 0.5 - 2 m 1 | 0.02 - 0.10 m 1 | <3 m for 30 seconds outages, <10 m for 60 seconds outages |
Roll and Pitch | 0.030° | 0.020° | 0.040° |
True Heading | 0.030° with 2 m baseline | - | Drift <2° per hour |
Heave | 5 cm or 5% 2 | 5 cm or 5% 2 | 5 cm or 5% 2 |
POS MV Elite
Accuracy | DGPS | RTK | GPS Outage |
---|---|---|---|
Position | 0.5 - 2 m 1 | 0.02 - 0.10 m 1 | <1.5 m for 60 seconds outages DGPS, <0.5 m for 60 seconds outage RTK |
Roll and Pitch | 0.005° | 0.005° | 0.005° |
True Heading | 0.025° | 0.025° | Drift <0.1° per hour (negligible for outages <60 seconds) |
Heave | 3.5 cm or 3.5% 2 | 3.5 cm or 3.5% 2 | 3.5 cm or 3.5% 2 |
1 One Sigma, depending on quality of differential corrections
2 Whichever is greater, for periods of 20 seconds or less
Further details can be found in the manufacturer's specification sheet.
Shelf Sea Biogeochemistry RRS Discovery cruise DY021 underway navigation data processing procedures
Originator's Data Processing
All underway sensors/instruments were initially logged via the Ifremer TECHSAS (TECHnical and Scientific sensors Acquisition System) system. The data were then broadcast in UDP/IP frames via the on-board LAN. Data were broadcast in two formats: NMEA broadcasting format and XML broadcasting format. The XML broadcast was used to create TECHSAS NetCDF files while the NMEA broadcast was used to transfer data to the RVS Level-C UNIX system where it was parsed into RVS data streams (RVS format files). Data were were not processed by the originator.
Files delivered to BODC
Filename | Content description | Format | Interval | Start date/time (UTC) | End date/time (UTC) | Comments |
posmvpos | Best available position | RVS | 1 sec | 27/02/2015 15:14:15 | 26/03/2015 00:20:21 | - |
gyropmv | Ship's heading | RVS | 1 sec | 27/02/2015 15:14:15 | 26/03/2015 00:20:21 | - |
ea640 | Echosounder bathymetry | RVS | 1 sec | 01/03/2015 16:32:30 | 25/03/2015 22:07:30 | - |
Multibeam bathymetry data were also sent but after investigation it was deemed not as accurate as the echosounder data. It was decided to keep only the echosounder data, but multibeam bathymetry is available upon request.
BODC Data Processing
The files mentioned above were selected for data banking because they contained the best version of unprocessed position, heading and bathymetry. Data were banked at BODC following standard data banking procedures. The originator's variables were mapped to appropriate BODC parameter codes as follows:
posmvpos
Originator's variable | Originator's units | Description | BODC Code | BODC Units | Unit conversion | Comments |
lat | decimal degrees | Latitude north | ALATGP01 | decimal degrees | - | - |
lon | decimal degrees | Latitude north | ALONGP01 | decimal degrees | - | - |
The file also contained measureT, prec, pdop, cmg and smg however these parameters were not transferred as they were diagnostic variables or could be derived from latitude and longitude.
gryopmv
Originator's variable | Originator's units | Description | BODC Code | BODC Units | Unit conversion | Comments |
heading | degrees true | ship's heading | HEADCM01 | degrees true | - | - |
ea640
Originator's variable | Originator's units | Description | BODC Code | BODC Units | Unit conversion | Comments |
depth | m | depth measured by echosounder | MBANZZ01 | m | - | Not corrected for local sound velocity |
All the reformatted data were visualised using the in-house EDSERPLO software. Suspect data were marked by adding an appropriate quality control flag, missing data by both setting the data to an appropriate value and setting the quality control flag.
Position
A check was run on the position data and 6 gaps were identified. One gap was 44 minutes minutes, after some investigation it was not possible to find another source of information, so a decision was made to interpolate these values. The remaining gaps, as they were shorter than 30 minutes were also interpolated, following BODC standard procedures. At this stage a check was run again and no gaps or speed fails were identified.
Gaps identified in the originator's file, and subsequently interpolated, were:
- 28/02/2015 16:55:00 to 28/02/2015 16:57:30
- 02/03/2015 06:59:00 to 02/03/2015 07:42:30
- 13/03/2015 20:50:00 to 13/03/2015 20:56:00
- 14/03/2015 14:19:30 to 14/03/2015 14:33:30
Ship's velocities
Ship's eastward and northward velocities were calculated from the main latitude and longitude channels.
Distance Run
Distance run was calculated from the main latitude and longitude channels, starting from the beginning of the file.
Project Information
Shelf Sea Biogeochemistry (SSB) Programme
Shelf Sea Biogeochemistry (SSB) is a £10.5 million, six-year (2011-2017) research programme, jointly funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). The aim of the research is to reduce the uncertainty in our understanding of nutrient and carbon cycling within the shelf seas, and of their role in global biogeochemical cycles. SSB will also provide effective policy advice and make a significant contribution to the Living with Environmental Change programme.
Background
The Shelf Sea Biogeochemistry research programme directly relates to the delivery of the NERC Earth system science theme and aims to provide evidence that supports a number of marine policy areas and statutory requirements, such as the Marine Strategy Framework Directive and Marine and Climate Acts.
The shelf seas are highly productive compared to the open ocean, a productivity that underpins more than 90 per cent of global fisheries. Their importance to society extends beyond food production to include issues of biodiversity, carbon cycling and storage, waste disposal, nutrient cycling, recreation and renewable energy resources.
The shelf seas have been estimated to be the most valuable biome on Earth, but they are under considerable stress, as a result of anthropogenic nutrient loading, overfishing, habitat disturbance, climate change and other impacts.
However, even within the relatively well-studied European shelf seas, fundamental biogeochemical processes are poorly understood. For example: the role of shelf seas in carbon storage; in the global cycles of key nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, silicon and iron); and in determining primary and secondary production, and thereby underpinning the future delivery of many other ecosystem services.
Improved knowledge of such factors is not only required by marine policymakers; it also has the potential to increase the quality and cost-effectiveness of management decisions at the local, national and international levels under conditions of climate change.
The Shelf Sea Biogeochemistry research programme will take a holistic approach to the cycling of nutrients and carbon and the controls on primary and secondary production in UK and European shelf seas, to increase understanding of these processes and their role in wider biogeochemical cycles. It will thereby significantly improve predictive marine biogeochemical and ecosystem models over a range of scales.
The scope of the programme includes exchanges with the open ocean (transport on and off the shelf to a depth of around 500m), together with cycling, storage and release processes on the shelf slope, and air-sea exchange of greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide).
Further details are available on the SSB website.
Participants
15 different organisations are directly involved in research for SSB. These institutions are
- Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas)
- Meteorological Office
- National Oceanography Centre (NOC)
- Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML)
- Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) / Scottish Marine Institute (SMI)
- University of Aberdeen
- University of Bangor
- University of East Anglia (UEA)
- University of Edinburgh
- University of Essex
- University of Liverpool
- University of Oxford
- Plymouth University
- University of Portsmouth
- University of Southampton
In addition, there are third party institutions carrying out sampling work for SSB, but who are not involved in the programme itself. These are:
- The Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI)
- Irish Marine Institute (MI)
- Marine Science Scotland (MSS)
Research details
Overall, five Work Packages have been funded by the SSB programme. These are described in brief below:
-
Work Package 1: Carbon and Nutrient Dynamics and Fluxes over Shelf Systems (CaNDyFloSS).
This work package aims to perform a comprehensive study of the cycling of nutrients and carbon throughout the water column over the whole north-west European shelf. This will allow the fluxes of nutrients and carbon between the shelf and the deep ocean and atmosphere to be quantified, establishing the role of the north-west European continental shelf in the global carbon cycle. -
Work Package 2: Biogeochemistry, macronutrient and carbon cycling in the benthic layer.
This work package aims are to map the sensitivity and status of seabed habitats, based on physical conditions, ecological community structure and the size and dynamics of the nitrogen and carbon pools found there. This information will be used, in conjunction with some laboratory-based work, to generate an understanding of the potential impacts on the benthic community as a result of changing environmental conditions, such as rising CO2 levels. -
Work Package 3: The supply of iron from shelf sediments to the ocean.
The research for this work package addresses the question of how currents, tides, weather and marine chemistry allow new iron to be transported away from the shallow shelf waters around the United Kingdom (UK), to the nearby open ocean. This will ultimately allow an improved understanding of how the transport of iron in shelf waters and shelf sediments influences phytoplankton growth in open oceans. This in turn improves the understanding of carbon dioxide uptake by phytoplankton. -
Work Package 4: Integrative modelling for Shelf Seas Biogeochemistry.
The aim of this work package is the development of a new shelf seas biogeochemical model system, coupled to a state of the art physical model, that is capable of predicting regional impacts of environmental change of timescales from days to decades. It is envisaged that the combination of predictive tools and new knowledge developed in this work package will underpin development and implementation of marine policy and marine forecasting systems. - Work Package 5: Data synthesis and management of marine and coastal carbon (DSMMAC).
This work package is funded by Defra and is also known by the name 'Blue Carbon'. The aim is to provide a process-based, quantitative assessment of the role of UK coastal waters and shelf seas in carbon storage and release, using existing data and understanding, and also emerging results from SSB fieldwork, experiments and modelling. Particular emphasis will be given to processes that may be influenced by human activities, and hence the opportunity for management interventions to enhance carbon sequestration.
Fieldwork and data collection
The campaign consists of the core cruises in the table below, to the marine shelf (and shelf-edge) of the Celtic Sea on board the NERC research vessels RRS Discovery and RRS James Cook. These cruises will focus on the physics and biogeochemistry of the benthic and pelagic zones of the water column, primarily around four main sampling sites in this area.
Cruise identifier | Research ship | Cruise dates | Work packages |
---|---|---|---|
DY008 | RRS Discovery | March 2014 | WP 2 and WP 3 |
JC105 | RRS James Cook | June 2014 | WP 1, WP 2 and WP 3 |
DY026 | RRS Discovery | August 2014 | WP1, WP 2 and WP 3 |
DY018 | RRS Discovery | November - December 2014 | WP 1 and WP 3 |
DY021 (also known as DY008b) | RRS Discovery | March 2015 | WP 2 and WP 3 |
DY029 | RRS Discovery | April 2015 | WP 1 and WP 3 |
DY030 | RRS Discovery | May 2015 | WP 2 and WP 3 |
DY033 | RRS Discovery | July 2015 | WP 1 and WP 3 |
DY034 | RRS Discovery | August 2015 | WP 2 and WP 3 |
Core cruises will be supplemented by partner cruises led by Cefas, MI, MSS, Bangor University and AFBI, spanning the shelf seas and shelf-edges around United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland.
Activities will include coring, Conductivity Temperature and Depth (CTD) deployments, Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCP) surveys, moorings and wire-walker deployments, benthic lander observatories, autonomous gliders and submersible surveys, Marine Snow Catcher particulate matter analysis, plankton net hauls, in-situ sediment flume investigations and laboratory incubations with core and sea water samples.
Shelf Sea Biogeochemistry (SSB) Programme Work Package 1: CaNDyFloSS
Carbon and Nutrient Dynamics and Fluxes over Shelf Systems (CaNDyFloSS) is a £2.76 million component of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) Shelf Sea Biogeochemistry (SSB) research programme, running from 2013 to 2017. It is jointly funded by NERC and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). The aim of the research is to perform a comprehensive study of the cycling of nutrients and carbon throughout the water column over the whole north-west European shelf. This will allow the fluxes of nutrients and carbon between the shelf and the deep ocean and atmosphere to be quantified, establishing the role of the north-west European continental shelf in the global carbon cycle.
Background
Shelf seas are the primary regions of human marine resource exploitation, including both renewable and fossil fuel energy sources, recreation, trade and food production. They provide 90% of global fish catches which form an important source of food to much of the global population. They also play an important role in the ecosystem services provided by the oceans as a whole, in particular in storing carbon away from the atmosphere.
Physical and biochemical processes in shelf seas influence the removal of CO2 from the atmosphere and the subsequent storage of carbon in the deep ocean. Biological growth draws carbon out of the water, which is then replaced by carbon in CO2 from the atmosphere. In the shelf seas this growth is supported by terrestrial and open ocean sources of nutrients, implying intimate roles for both the terrestrial biosphere and the open ocean environment in regulating shelf sea climate services. The oceans can also be a major source or sink for other greenhouse gases, including nitrous oxide (N2O), with the shallow shelf sea thought to play a key role.
The spatial extent of the submerged continental shelves varies greatly. The NW European shelf sea is one of the largest and hence is likely to play a significant role in marine biogeochemical cycling, alongside providing a useful model for other systems. However, even in this relatively well studied region, there is a lack of detailed understanding of the principal controls on the cycling of carbon and the major nutrient elements, nitrogen, phosphorus and silicon. Consequently it is also difficult to predict how the cycling of these elements and hence the carbon removal they support may be altered by ongoing and potential future global change. This work package aims to address these uncertainties through a comprehensive study of the cycling of the major nutrients and carbon throughout the water column over the NW European shelf sea system.
Further details are available on the SSB website.
Participants
9 different organisations are directly involved in research for SSB Work Package 1. These institutions are
- Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas)
- National Oceanography Centre (NOC)
- Plymouth Marine Laboratory (PML)
- Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) / Scottish Marine Institute (SMI)
- University of Aberdeen
- University of Bangor
- University of East Anglia (UEA)
- University of Liverpool
- University of Southampton
In addition, there are third party institutions carrying out sampling work for SSB Work Package 1, but who are not involved in the programme itself. These are:
- The Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute (AFBI)
- Irish Marine Institute (MI)
- Marine Science Scotland (MSS)
Objectives
Two overarching objectives are defined for this Work Package.
-
Objective 1: Estimate the size of the continental shelf carbon pump over the whole north-west European shelf.
This will consist of two principal activities. (1) Over a 12 month period, observations of air-sea CO2 fluxes will be made to provide a synoptic estimate of the magnitude of carbon update by the whole shelf system. (2) Concentrations of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphate (P) and silicate (Si) will be estimated in water flowing on and off the shelf. These estimates will be coupled to estimates of flow and dispersion along the shelf edge, through collaboration with the NERC Fluxes across Sloping Topography of the North East Atlantic (FASTNEt) programme to allow an observational estimate of the net off-shelf transport of C, N, P and Si. -
Objective 2: Determine the relative importance of external nutrient sources and internal biogeochemical cycling in maintaining the continental shelf pump.
Estimates of the flux of nutrients and carbon generated in Objective 1 will be used to determine the estimation of any excess of on-shelf nutrient supply, relative to that of carbon. Work Package 1 will then quantify the processes which govern internal biogeochemical cycling by measuring the uptake ratios of N, P, Si and C into phytoplankton and the element and energy balance of organic matter production by autotrophs. Potential modifications to the relative concentrations and uptake of C, N, P and Si in the thermocline and sediment food webs will also be assessed, as will the relative importance of microbial and zooplankton turnover in controlling C, N, P and Si.
Fieldwork and data collection
Data for Objective 1 will be provided using pCO2 systems aboard third party vessels and ferry boxes, along with measurements made through the FASTNEt programme and through the Work Package 1 process cruises detailed below. The third party cruises will be undertaken by Cefas, MI, MSS, University of Bangor and AFBI, spanning the shelf seas and shelf-edges around the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.
The Work Package 1 process cruises will provide data for Objective 1 and Objective 2 and are listed in the table below. The study area is the marine shelf (and shelf-edge) of the Celtic Sea. Work will be carried out on board the NERC research vessels RRS Discovery and RRS James Cook. These cruises will focus on the physics and biogeochemistry of the benthic and pelagic zones of the water column, primarily around four main sampling sites in this area.
Cruise identifier | Research ship | Cruise dates | Work packages |
---|---|---|---|
JC105 | RRS James Cook | June 2014 | WP 1, WP 2 and WP 3 |
DY026 | RRS Discovery | August 2014 | WP1, WP 2 and WP 3 |
DY018 | RRS Discovery | November - December 2014 | WP 1 and WP 3 |
DY029 | RRS Discovery | April 2015 | WP 1 and WP 3 |
DY033 | RRS Discovery | July 2015 | WP 1 and WP 3 |
Activities will include Conductivity Temperature and Depth (CTD) deployments, Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCP) surveys, moorings and wire-walker deployments, autonomous gliders and submersible surveys, Marine Snow Catcher particulate matter analysis, plankton net hauls and laboratory incubations with sea water samples.
Data Activity or Cruise Information
Cruise
Cruise Name | DY021 |
Departure Date | 2015-03-01 |
Arrival Date | 2015-03-26 |
Principal Scientist(s) | E Malcolm S Woodward (Plymouth Marine Laboratory) |
Ship | RRS Discovery |
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:
Flag | Description |
---|---|
Blank | Unqualified |
< | Below detection limit |
> | In excess of quoted value |
A | Taxonomic flag for affinis (aff.) |
B | Beginning of CTD Down/Up Cast |
C | Taxonomic flag for confer (cf.) |
D | Thermometric depth |
E | End of CTD Down/Up Cast |
G | Non-taxonomic biological characteristic uncertainty |
H | Extrapolated value |
I | Taxonomic flag for single species (sp.) |
K | Improbable value - unknown quality control source |
L | Improbable value - originator's quality control |
M | Improbable value - BODC quality control |
N | Null value |
O | Improbable value - user quality control |
P | Trace/calm |
Q | Indeterminate |
R | Replacement value |
S | Estimated value |
T | Interpolated value |
U | Uncalibrated |
W | Control value |
X | Excessive difference |
SeaDataNet Quality Control Flags
The following single character qualifying flags may be associated with one or more individual parameters with a data cycle:
Flag | Description |
---|---|
0 | no quality control |
1 | good value |
2 | probably good value |
3 | probably bad value |
4 | bad value |
5 | changed value |
6 | value below detection |
7 | value in excess |
8 | interpolated value |
9 | missing value |
A | value phenomenon uncertain |
B | nominal value |
Q | value below limit of quantification |