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RV Prince Madog PD17/04

Cruise summary report

Cruise Info. 
Ship name (ship code)RV Prince Madog (74P2)
Cruise identifierPD17/04
Cruise period2004-05-02 — 2004-05-08
StatusCompleted
Port of departureMenai Bridge, United Kingdom
Port of returnMenai Bridge, United Kingdom
PurposeResearch
ObjectivesOutline of science objectives:
1) Derivation of suspended particulate matter concentrations in shelf seas from remotely sensed imagery and assessment of the effect high chlorophyll concentrations have on this derivation.
2) Use of variable fluorescence to derive photosynthetic parameters in-situ and to develop algorithms enabling primary production to be obtained from satellite imagery.
3) Estimation of variability in horizontal water structure over a 50 hour tidal cycle in a mixed and a stratified region and possible effects this may have on remote sensing of shelf seas.
4) Estimation of turbulence and variability in horizontal water structure over a 50 hour tidal cycle in a mixed and a stratified region with the aim of using this data to improve shelf sea models.
5) Analysis of trawl tracks.
Main cruise objectives:
1) Measurement of suspended particulate material, chlorophyll (including samples for HPLC analysis) and yellow substance in-situ, with the aim of sampling during the spring chlorophyll bloom.
2) Measurement of RSR (remote sensing reflectance) and diffuse attenuation at SeaWiFS & MERIS wavelengths to assess effect of spring bloom on water leaving radiance.
3) Sampling for phytoplankton.
4) Sampling for nutrients including ammonia.
5) Measurement of conductivity, temperature, salinity, beam attenuation, fluorescence.
6) Deployment of a Fast Repetition Rate Fluorometer.
7) Deployment of two ADCP's; one at a tidally mixed station near Holyhead and one at a tidally stratified station in the Western Irish Sea gyre.
8) Hourly sampling at anchor over a 50 tidal cycle to assess changes in horizontal water column structure due to the tides and resultant effects on remote sensing and shelf sea modelling. This sampling is to occur at the tidally mixed station and the tidally stratified station.
9) Deployment of settling tubes at tidal cycle stations in mixed and stratified waters.
10) Side scan sonar studies of trawl tracks in Colwyn Bay and off Wh
Chief scientistE Gay Mitchelson-Jacob (University of Wales, Bangor School of Ocean Sciences)
ProjectCentre for Air/Sea Interactions and Fluxes
Coordinating bodyUK Natural Environment Research Council
Ocean/sea areas 
GeneralIrish Sea and St. George's Channel
SpecificIrish Sea
Track chartsRV Prince Madog PD17/04 cruise track — pd17_04roscop4719trk.pdf (0.19 MB) 
Measurements 
Physical oceanography 
Water bottle stationsQuantity: number of profiles = 82
Description: Sampling of water at depth using water bottles on CTD rosette
CTD stationsQuantity: number of profiles = 82
Description: Measurement of salinity profiles by CTD
CTD stationsQuantity: number of profiles = 82
Description: Measurement of temperature profiles by CTD
CTD stationsQuantity: number of profiles = 82
Description: Measurement of transmittance profiles by CTD
CTD stationsQuantity: number of profiles = 82
Description: Measurement of fluorescence profiles by CTD
Transparency (eg transmissometer)Quantity: number of measurements = 31
Description: Secchi Depth
Transparency (eg transmissometer)Quantity: number of profiles = 34
Description: Measurement of diffuse attenuation coefficients at SeaWiFS wavelengths
Optics (eg underwater light levels)Quantity: number of profiles = 34
Description: Measure in-situ profiles of spectral remote sensing reflectance at SeaWiFS wavelengths with PRR-600 radiometer
Other physical oceanographic measurementsQuantity: number of samples = 92
Description: Sample particulate absorption by filter pad technique at surface
Other physical oceanographic measurementsQuantity: number of profiles = 88
Description: Measure SPM volume-specific particle size classes with LISST-100
Other physical oceanographic measurementsQuantity: number of samples = 264
Description: Measurements of particle settling velocity using timed filtration of samples from settling tubes
Other physical oceanographic measurementsQuantity: number of samples = 55
Description: Sample particulate absorption by filter pad technique at depth
Chemical oceanography 
PhosphateQuantity: number of samples = 260
Description: Sampling for phosphate at depth
PhosphateQuantity: number of samples = 204
Description: Sampling for phosphate at surface
NitrateQuantity: number of samples = 204
Description: Sampling for nitrate at surface
NitrateQuantity: number of samples = 260
Description: Sampling for nitrate at depth
NitriteQuantity: number of samples = 260
Description: Sampling for nitrite at depth
NitriteQuantity: number of samples = 204
Description: Sampling for nitrite at surface
AmmoniaQuantity: number of samples = 204
Description: Sampling for ammonia at surface
AmmoniaQuantity: number of samples = 260
Description: Sampling for ammonia at depth
SilicateQuantity: number of samples = 260
Description: Sampling for silicate at depth
SilicateQuantity: number of samples = 204
Description: Sampling for silicate at surface
Biology and fisheries 
Primary productivityQuantity: number of profiles = 88
Description: Measurement of photosynthetic response with FRRF variable fluorescence fluorometer
Phytoplankton pigs (eg chlorophyll, fluorescence)Quantity: number of samples = 12
Description: Sampling for chlorophyll at depth, analysis by HPLC
Phytoplankton pigs (eg chlorophyll, fluorescence)Quantity: number of samples = 264
Description: Sampling for chlorophyll at surface, analysis by fluorometry
Phytoplankton pigs (eg chlorophyll, fluorescence)Quantity: number of samples = 393
Description: Sampling for chlorophyll at depth, analysis by fluorometry
Phytoplankton pigs (eg chlorophyll, fluorescence)Quantity: number of samples = 16
Description: Sampling for chlorophyll at surface, analysis by HPLC
Dissolved organic matter (inc DOC)Quantity: number of samples = 20
Description: Sampling for CDOM at depth, analysis by spectrophotometry
Dissolved organic matter (inc DOC)Quantity: number of samples = 31
Description: Sampling for CDOM at surface, analysis by spectrophotometry
SestonQuantity: number of samples = 203
Description: Sampling for SPM at depth, analysis by weight and by ignition
SestonQuantity: number of samples = 131
Description: Sampling for SPM at surface, analysis by weight and by ignition
Geology and geophysics 
Long/short range side scan sonarQuantity: number of track lines = 24
Description: Side-scan sonar analysis of trawl tracks
Moorings, landers, buoys 
Physical oceanography 
Current profiler (eg ADCP)53° 23' 2" N  4° 41' 57" W — Sea-bed deployed ADCP mooring, deployed 02/05/04. Station identifier: Station H.
Current profiler (eg ADCP)53° 34' 57" N  5° 46' 56" W — Seabed-deployed ADCP mooring, deployed 02/05/04, recovered on 04/05/04. Station identifier: Station G.