Resources

RRS Discovery D236

Cruise summary report

Cruise Info. 
Ship name (ship code)RRS Discovery (74E3)
Cruise identifierD236
Cruise period1998-08-24 — 1998-09-22
StatusCompleted
Port of departureLisbon, Portugal
Port of returnSouthampton, United Kingdom
PurposeResearch
ObjectivesThe initial Discovery Cruise 222A was completed in 1996. Since then, major improvements and developments in equipment were undertaken by the various partners in the ALIPOR project. The main objective of D236 was therefore to test this novel equipment under operational conditions in the NE Atlantic. This technical objective was integrated within a general scientific aim to investigate physical, chemical and biological processes in the benthic boundary layer. The cruise was timed after seasonal deposition of phytodetritus from the surface layers should have settled out on the sea floor in the NE Atlantic.

Two main working areas were identified:
1. Porcupine Seabight 45°N 13°W - 2500m depth
2. Porcupine Abyssal Plain 48°50'N 16°30'W - 4800m depth

The latter station, known as PAP, is the main station in BENGAL and other European and national research programmes. Various locations in the Porcupine Seabight were to provide a contrast to this standard NE Atlantic abyssal locality.
Chief scientistImants G Priede (University of Aberdeen, Oceanlab)
ProjectAutonomous Lander Instrument Packages for Oceanographic Research (ALIPOR)
Cruise reportRRS Discovery D236 cruise report d236.pdf (0.62 MB) 
Ocean/sea areas 
GeneralNorth East Atlantic Ocean (limit 40W)
SpecificPorcupine Seabight, Porcupine Abyssal Plain