RRS Challenger CH6A/85
Cruise summary report
| Cruise Info. | |
| Ship name (ship code) | RRS Challenger (74CH) |
| Cruise identifier | CH6A/85 |
| Cruise period | 1985-06-13 — 1985-06-28 |
| Status | Completed |
| Port of departure | Falmouth, United Kingdom |
| Port of return | Falmouth, United Kingdom |
| Purpose | Research |
| Objectives | 1. To obtain values for the sediment community oxygen consumption using cores obtained by, and incubated in, the SMBA multiple corer, at depths of 2000m and 4800m.
2. To obtain a series of SMBA multiple corer samples within the depth range 1300-4800 for chemical and biological studies. 3. To obtain a series of SMBA multiple corer samples within the depth range 500-4800m for diversity and in-sediment distribution of foraminiferans, xenophypophores, komokiaceans and other meiofaunal taxa. 4. To obtain a series of USNEL box core samples, for macrofaunal biomass studies, between 500m and 4800m. 5. To obtain a series of epibenthic sledge hauls in continuation of investigations of mega- and macrofaunal distributions and diversity. These samples to be taken in the depth range 500-4800m. 6. To conduct a phototransect between 800 and 1600m in the northwestern area of the Porcupine Seabight to elucidate further the limits and structure of the Pheronema population. 7. From epibenthic sledge samples, to obtain a comprehensive collection of holothurian tentacles for studies of the functional morphology of these organs. 8. From epibenthic sledge samples, to obtain a comprehensive collecion of holothurian gonads to further the study of aspects of the reproductive cycle. 9. To deploy Bathysnap in order to obtain information on the decay rate of holothurian faceal casts. 10. To make test deployments of a new mark/recapture amphipod trap designed for operation by submersible. 11. To investigate the proposed Anglo-French Diving Campaign site at 49º 25'N, 12º 55'W on the Goban Spu. |
| Chief scientist | Michael H Thurston (Institute of Oceanographic Sciences Wormley Laboratory) |
| Cruise report |  (0.99 MB) |
| Ocean/sea areas | |
| General | North East Atlantic Ocean (limit 40W) |
| Specific | Porcupine Bight |
| Track charts |  |
| Measurements | |
| Chemical oceanography | |
| Other dissolved gases | Quantity: number of stations = 8 Description: N2 |
| Other chemical oceanographic measurements | Quantity: number of stations = 8 Description: carbon |
| Biology and fisheries | |
| Phytoplankton pigs (eg chlorophyll, fluorescence) | Quantity: number of stations = 8 Description: organic pigments |
| Phytoplankton pigs (eg chlorophyll, fluorescence) | Quantity: number of cores = 7 Description: in sediment & fluff |
| Particulate organic matter (inc POC, PON) | Quantity: number of cores = 7 Description: in sediment & fluff |
| Phytoplankton | Quantity: number of cores = 7 Description: in sediment & fluff |
| Seston | Quantity: number of cores = 7 Description: in sediment & fluff |
| Zoobenthos | Quantity: number of cores = 18 Description: micro-,macro-,megafauna;survey:taxonomy,distribution,O2 consumption |
| Birds | |
| Geology and geophysics | |
| Bottom photography | Quantity: number of deployments = 12 Description: bottom photography |
| Single-beam echosounding | Quantity: track kilometres = 750 |
