RRS Charles Darwin CD72
Cruise summary report
| Cruise Info. | |
| Ship name (ship code) | RRS Charles Darwin (74AB) |
| Cruise identifier | CD72 |
| Cruise period | 1992-08-24 — 1992-09-11 |
| Status | Completed |
| Port of departure | Barry, United Kingdom |
| Port of return | Barry, United Kingdom |
| Purpose | Research |
| Objectives | The site of study during this cruise was 49 degrees north 16 degrees 20' west. The main objectives were:
1. To recover and deploy moorings as part of a long term study of particle flux at this site. 2. to collect various classes of particle for an on board study and experimentation with particular emphasis on their microbiology and molecular biology. 3. To obtain acoustic information using the on-board and bottom mounted ADCP and to relate these data to the physical structure of the water column and to the net collected plankton. 4. To examine the diel variability of one particular class of particle. 5. To use some of the collected biological specimens for experimentation on their behaviour. |
| Chief scientist | Richard Stephen Lampitt (Institute of Oceanographic Sciences Deacon Laboratory) |
| Cruise report |  (0.68 MB) |
| Ocean/sea areas | |
| General | North East Atlantic Ocean (limit 40W) |
| Specific | Porcupine Abyssal Plain, 49N;01630W |
| Track charts |  |
| Measurements | |
| Physical oceanography | |
| Bathythermograph | Quantity: number of profiles = 46 |
| CTD stations | Quantity: number of profiles = 5 Description: 3<300m & 2 4500m |
| Transparency (eg transmissometer) | Quantity: number of profiles = 5 Description: 3<300m & 2 4500m |
| Optics (eg underwater light levels) | Quantity: number of stations = 2 Description: recovered & redeployed |
| Current meters | Quantity: number of stations = 2 Description: recovered & rredeployed |
| Current profiler (eg ADCP) | Quantity: track kilometres = 600 Description: RDI ADCP |
| Chemical oceanography | |
| Oxygen | Quantity: number of profiles = 5 Description: 3<300m & 2 4500m |
| Biology and fisheries | |
| Primary productivity | Quantity: number of measurements = 21 Description: 10m - GOFLO |
| Sediment traps | Quantity: number of stations = 3 Description: recovered & redeployed |
| Zooplankton | Quantity: number of hauls = 15 Description: 6:RMT1+8 net, 6:small nets, 3: LHPR |
| Seston | Quantity: number of samples = 2 Description: 100 l samples for large rare particles |
| Nekton | Quantity: number of hauls = 6 Description: RMT1+8 net |
| Pelagic bacteria/micro-organisms | Quantity: number of stations = 5 Description: microbiology and molecular biology |
| Acoustic reflection on marine organisms. | Quantity: track kilometres = 600 Description: ADCP for backscatter strength |
| Other biological/fisheries measurement | Quantity: number of samples = 21 Description: 10m - GOFLO |
| Meteorology | |
| Routine standard measurements | Quantity: track kilometres = 800 Description: underway meteorology |
| Geology and geophysics | |
| Bottom photography | Quantity: number of stations = 2 Description: recovered & redeployed |
| Moorings, landers, buoys | |
| Physical oceanography | |
| Optics (eg underwater light levels) | 48° 55' 59" N 16° 19' 0" W — camera to record large particles |
| Optics (eg underwater light levels) | 48° 58' 59" N 16° 22' 0" W — photographic device on mooring above redeployed |
| Current meters | 48° 58' 59" N 16° 22' 0" W — redeployed |
| Current meters | 48° 55' 59" N 16° 19' 0" W — mooring deployed 6 April 1992 |
| Biology and fisheries | |
| Sediment traps | 48° 55' 59" N 16° 19' 0" W — Recovered - 3 1171m, 3000m and 4400m |
| Sediment traps | 48° 58' 59" N 16° 22' 0" W — Redeploy sediment trap mooring as above |
| Sediment traps | 48° 53' 59" N 16° 26' 59" W — Drifting, 2 traps (2175m,2205m depth) for 3 days |
| Geology and geophysics | |
| Bottom photography | 48° 57' 0" N 16° 19' 0" W — Recover bottom time lapse camera system |
| Bottom photography | 48° 55' 59" N 16° 22' 0" W — Redeploy bottom time lapse camera system above |
| Data held at BODC | |
| Discrete samples | |
| 5 CTD frame plus rosette sampler | Transmittance and attenuance of the water column Dissolved oxygen parameters in the water column Salinity of the water column Temperature of the water column Density of the water column Raw fluorometer output |
| 5 Longhurst-Hardy Plankton Recorder |
