Resources

RRS Discovery D204 Leg 1

Cruise summary report

Cruise Info. 
Ship name (ship code)RRS Discovery (74E3)
Cruise identifierD204 Leg 1
Cruise period1993-09-24 — 1993-10-20
StatusCompleted
Port of departureLas Palmas, Spain
Port of returnDakar, Senegal
PurposeResearch
ObjectivesBenthic and benthopelagic sampling and seafloor photography

1) To obtain a suite of benthic samples and data from the oligotrophic site of the French EUMELI programme (at 21 degrees N, 31 degrees W) for comparision with similar data from the Porcupine Abyssal Plain and the Madeira Abyssal Plain sites of the IOSDL DEEPSEAS programme
2) To study the photobiology of midwater fauna, particularly amphipods, decapods and fish, in terms of bioluminescence, behaviour and anatomy.
3) To analyse the distribution of the macrozooplankton using a combination of Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) recordings correlated with Longhurst-Hardy Plankton Recorder (LHPR) samples in an area expected to have high pelagic biomass resulting from the high productivity of the Mauritanian coastal upwelling.

Cruise was delayed due to a refit and some necessary equipment was missing. Temporary solutions were constructed for the RMT.
13 multiple cores, 10 box core, 6 semi-balloon otter trawls (OTSB), 6 epibenthic sledges, 4 wide angle survey photographic instrument (WASP) runs, 6 CTDs, 11 rectangular midwater trawl RMTs, 2 short-term Bathysnack (camera system) deployments, 3 DEMAR amphipod trap deployments and a long-term Bathysnap (camera system) deployment for later recovery.
Chief scientistAnthony L Rice (Institute of Oceanographic Sciences Deacon Laboratory)
ProjectLeg 1 MAST II - contract MAS2-920033 and IOSDL DEEPSEAS Programme
Coordinating bodyIOSDL/CEC MAST
Cruise reportRRS Discovery D204 Leg 1 cruise report d204.pdf (0.49 MB) 
Ocean/sea areas 
GeneralNorth East Atlantic Ocean (limit 40W)
SpecificEastern tropical and sub-tropical Atlantic
Track chartsRRS Discovery D204 Leg 1 cruise track — trk3941a.html
Measurements 
Physical oceanography 
CTD stationsQuantity: number of stations = 6
Current profiler (eg ADCP)Description: shipborne ADCP
Biology and fisheries 
Pelagic bacteria/micro-organismsQuantity: number of hauls = 6
Description: bacterial numbers
Benthic bacteria/micro-organismsQuantity: number of cores = 13
Description: multiple corer
ZoobenthosQuantity: number of deployments = 3
Description: DEMAR amphipod trap
ZoobenthosQuantity: number of cores = 13
Description: multiple corer
BirdsQuantity: number of observations = 150
Description: 10 minute bird watches Las Palmas to 21N, 31W to Dakar
Pelagic fishQuantity: number of hauls = 11
Description: 11 rectangular midwater trawls (RMT)
Demersal fishQuantity: number of hauls = 11
Description: 11 rectangular midwater trawls (RMT)
Demersal fishQuantity: number of cores = 10
Description: spade box corer
MolluscsQuantity: number of cores = 10
Description: spade box corer
CrustaceansQuantity: number of hauls = 6
Description: epibenthic slegde and semi-balloon otter trawls (OTSB)
Geology and geophysics 
Bottom photographyQuantity: number of surveys = 4
Description: WASP runs
Bottom photographyQuantity: number of deployments = 2
Description: short-term Bathysnack (camera system)
Bottom photographyQuantity: number of deployments = 1
Description: long-term Bathysnap (camera system)
Moorings, landers, buoys 
Biology and fisheries 
Zoobenthos21° 3' 0" N  31° 10' 59" W — free fall camera depl., baited and unbaited for
Zoobenthos21° 4' 59" N  31° 13' 0" W — as above (+B21)
Zoobenthos21° 1' 0" N  31° 13' 0" W — baited traps (+B21)
Zoobenthos21° 4' 59" N  31° 7' 0" W — baited traps (+B21)
Zoobenthos21° 1' 59" N  31° 10' 59" W — as above (+B19, B21)
Zoobenthos21° 4' 59" N  31° 11' 59" W — as above (+B19, B21)
Zoobenthos21° 1' 0" N  31° 10' 59" W — as above
Zoobenthos21° 4' 0" N  31° 7' 0" W — as above (+B21)
Demersal fish21° 4' 59" N  31° 11' 59" W — as above (+B19, B21)
Demersal fish21° 3' 0" N  31° 10' 59" W — activity of benthic organisms
Demersal fish21° 1' 59" N  31° 10' 59" W — as above (+B19, B21)
Crustaceans21° 4' 59" N  31° 11' 59" W — as above (+B19, B21)
Crustaceans21° 4' 59" N  31° 13' 0" W — as above (+B21)
Crustaceans21° 4' 59" N  31° 7' 0" W — baited traps (+B21)
Crustaceans21° 3' 0" N  31° 10' 59" W —
Crustaceans21° 1' 59" N  31° 10' 59" W — as above (+B19, B21)
Crustaceans21° 4' 0" N  31° 7' 0" W — as above (+B21)
Crustaceans21° 1' 0" N  31° 13' 0" W — baited traps (+B21)