Resources

RRS Discovery DY051

Cruise summary report

Cruise Info. 
Ship name (ship code)RRS Discovery (74EQ)
Cruise identifierDY051
Cruise period2016-05-13 — 2016-06-03
StatusCompleted
Port of departureSouthampton, United Kingdom
Port of returnGreenock, United Kingdom
PurposeResearch
ObjectivesDY051 visited Goban Spur and Rockall Trough areas, to trial a novel, pressure-coring and experimentation system that will enable studies of deep-sea prokaryote biodiversity and ecosystem functioning under ambient or manipulated pressure, temperature and oxygen conditions from any medium sized ocean going research ship with deep-sea coring capability. The MAC-EXP system provides a flexible, cost-effective alternative to in situ experimentation aiming to study the diversity and function of deep-sea prokaryote communities, in particular at the continental margins. Following successful trial of the equipment, sediment incubation experiments were run to investigate the pressure dependence of microbial OM turnover in deep-sea sediments, with a special focus on the ecosystem's natural capacity for hydrocarbon degradation, identify the microorganisms involved and their susceptibility to pressure.
In addition, sediment cores were taken along depth transects at both Goban Spur and Rockall Trough for investgations into present and past foraminiferal assemblages, as well as to investigate the gregarinie apicomplexan parasites of deep-sea invertebrates and search for anitimicrobial resistant bacteria in deep-sea sediments.
Chief scientistUrsula Witte (University of Aberdeen, Oceanlab)
ProjectMAC-EXP
Ocean/sea areas 
GeneralNorth East Atlantic Ocean (limit 40W)
SpecificGoban Spur, Rockall Trough.
Track chartsRRS Discovery DY051 cruise track — dy051trk.pdf (0.26 MB) 
Measurements 
Biology and fisheries 
Benthic bacteria/micro-organismsQuantity: number of stations = 2
Description: Degradation rates for oil hydrocarbon at atmospheric and ambient pressure.
Benthic bacteria/micro-organismsQuantity: number of stations = 4
Description: Turnover rates for DOM and POM at atm pressure (isotope tracing experiment).
Benthic bacteria/micro-organismsQuantity: number of stations = 15
Description: Occurrence of antimicrobial resistant bacteria in deep-sea sediments.
Benthic bacteria/micro-organismsQuantity: number of samples = 10
Description: Gregarine parasites in deep-sea macrofauna.
Benthic bacteria/micro-organismsQuantity: number of stations = 15
Description: Abundance and diversity of past and present benthic foraminifera; sediment cores sliced in 0.5 - 1 cm intervals.
Geology and geophysics 
Core - soft bottomQuantity: number of stations = 15
Description: Abundance and diversity of past and present benthic foraminifera; sediment cores sliced in 0.5 - 1 cm intervals.
Data held at BODC Get data
Series/Profiles 
1  Meteorological data logger
Visible waveband radiance and irradiance measurements in the atmosphere
Horizontal spatial co-ordinates
Air pressure
Date and time
Air temperature
Wind strength and direction
Solar Radiation
Atmospheric humidity
Visible waveband radiance and irradiance measurements in the atmosphere
Horizontal spatial co-ordinates
Air pressure
Date and time
Air temperature
Wind strength and direction
Solar Radiation
Atmospheric humidity

BODC idDate/TimeLocationDoc.
17861952016-05-13 12:12  — 2016-06-02 10:47 49° 2' 17" N  13° 42' 9" W — 57° 19' 1" N  1° 17' 29" W  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 1786195
1  Multi-beam echosounder
Horizontal spatial co-ordinates
Date and time
Platform or instrument orientation
Horizontal platform movement
Bathymetry and Elevation
Horizontal spatial co-ordinates
Date and time
Platform or instrument orientation
Horizontal platform movement
Bathymetry and Elevation

BODC idDate/TimeLocationDoc.
17861832016-05-13 12:12  — 2016-06-02 10:47 49° 2' 17" N  13° 42' 9" W — 57° 19' 1" N  1° 17' 29" W  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 1786183
1  Multiple instrument types
Horizontal spatial co-ordinates
Transmittance and attenuance of the water column
Date and time
Salinity of the water column
Temperature of the water column
Metadata parameters
Raw suspended particulate material concentration sensor output
Electrical conductivity of the water column
Raw fluorometer output
Chlorophyll pigment concentrations in water bodies
Horizontal spatial co-ordinates
Transmittance and attenuance of the water column
Date and time
Salinity of the water column
Temperature of the water column
Metadata parameters
Raw suspended particulate material concentration sensor output
Electrical conductivity of the water column
Raw fluorometer output
Chlorophyll pigment concentrations in water bodies

BODC idDate/TimeLocationDoc.
17862022016-05-13 12:12  — 2016-06-02 10:47 49° 2' 17" N  13° 42' 9" W — 57° 19' 1" N  1° 17' 29" W  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 1786202