RRS Discovery D288 (MadEx)
Cruise summary report
| Cruise Info. | |
| Ship name (ship code) | RRS Discovery (74E3) |
| Cruise identifier | D288 (MadEx) |
| Cruise period | 2005-01-26 — 2005-02-21 |
| Status | Completed |
| Port of departure | Durban, South Africa |
| Port of return | Durban, South Africa |
| Purpose | Research |
| Objectives | The objectives were:
1) To survey the circulation to the south of Madagascar using both SeaSoar for a quasi-synoptic survey of the surface waters, and CTDs for information from deeper waters. 2) To obtain biological samples from this region in order to relate the physics and biology. 3) To place some moorings across the flow in order to record the time-varying currents, and also to deploy some drifters. A compassionate evacuation to Reunion used up 5 days of time, depriving us of the opportunity to complete the survey work, but allowing an interesting section on the return from Reunion. |
| Chief scientist | Graham D Quartly (Southampton Oceanography Centre) |
| Project | Ocean Variability and Climate (a NERC Core Strategic programme) |
| Coordinating body | National Oceanography Centre, Southampton |
| Cruise report |  (3.01 MB) |
| Ocean/sea areas | |
| General | Indian Ocean |
| Specific | Southwestern Indian Ocean |
| Track charts | (0.08 MB) |
| Measurements | |
| Physical oceanography | |
| Surface measurements underway (T,S) | Quantity: number of samples = 140 Description: 4-hourly samples of salts |
| Surface measurements underway (T,S) | Quantity: activity duration in days = 24 Description: Underway continuous records of surface T & S (good), transmittance and fluorescence (poor) |
| Bathythermograph | Quantity: number of stations = 13 Description: XBTs |
| Water bottle stations | Quantity: number of stations = 32 Description: Rosette bottle samples taken for salinity |
| CTD stations | Quantity: number of stations = 34 Description: Profiles obtained for T, S, Oxygen, Fluorescence and Transmittance |
| Subsurface temperature and salinity measurements | Quantity: track kilometres = 3290 Description: SeaSoar profiles (T, S, Oxygen, Optical Plankton Counter, FRRF) |
| Current profiler (eg ADCP) | Quantity: number of stations = 33 Description: LADCP profile |
| Current profiler (eg ADCP) | Quantity: activity duration in days = 24 Description: ADCP (75 kHz & 150 kHz) |
| Instrumented wave measurements | Quantity: activity duration in days = 26 Description: Autoflux (incl. Shipborne Wave recorder) |
| Chemical oceanography | |
| Oxygen | Quantity: number of stations = 32 Description: Samples taken for Oxygen, Silicate, Nitrate, Phosphate and Chlorophyll |
| Oxygen | Quantity: track kilometres = 3290 Description: SeaSoar profiles (T, S, Oxygen, Optical Plankton Counter, FRRF) |
| Phosphate | Quantity: number of samples = 500 Description: Samples of nutrients and chlorophyll |
| Phosphate | Quantity: number of stations = 32 Description: Samples taken for Oxygen, Silicate, Nitrate, Phosphate and Chlorophyll |
| Nitrate | Quantity: number of samples = 500 Description: Samples of nutrients and chlorophyll |
| Nitrate | Quantity: number of stations = 32 Description: Samples taken for Oxygen, Silicate, Nitrate, Phosphate and Chlorophyll |
| Silicate | Quantity: number of samples = 500 Description: Samples of nutrients and chlorophyll |
| Silicate | Quantity: number of stations = 32 Description: Samples taken for Oxygen, Silicate, Nitrate, Phosphate and Chlorophyll |
| Biology and fisheries | |
| Phytoplankton pigs (eg chlorophyll, fluorescence) | Quantity: track kilometres = 3290 Description: SeaSoar profiles (T, S, Oxygen, Optical Plankton Counter, FRRF) |
| Phytoplankton pigs (eg chlorophyll, fluorescence) | Quantity: number of stations = 32 Description: Samples taken for Oxygen, Silicate, Nitrate, Phosphate and Chlorophyll |
| Phytoplankton pigs (eg chlorophyll, fluorescence) | Quantity: number of samples = 500 Description: Samples of nutrients and chlorophyll |
| Phytoplankton | Quantity: number of samples = 500 Description: Preserved samples (mainly hourly) for subsequent abalysis by flow cytometry |
| Phytoplankton | Quantity: track kilometres = 3290 Description: SeaSoar profiles (T, S, Oxygen, Optical Plankton Counter, FRRF) |
| Phytoplankton | Quantity: number of stations = 32 Description: Samples taken for subsequent flow cytometry analysis |
| Zooplankton | Quantity: number of stations = 10 Description: Vertical net hauls from 200m (6 of them repeated from 800m) |
| Zooplankton | Quantity: track kilometres = 3290 Description: SeaSoar profiles (T, S, Oxygen, Optical Plankton Counter, FRRF) |
| Other biological/fisheries measurement | Quantity: activity duration in days = 2 Description: Hyperspectral measurements of surface (ocean colour) |
| Meteorology | |
| Routine standard measurements | Quantity: activity duration in days = 26 Description: Autoflux (incl. Shipborne Wave recorder) |
| Moorings, landers, buoys | |
| Physical oceanography | |
| Current meters | 26° 7' 59" S 47° 46' 0" E — MMP (McLane Moored Profiler) plus 1 x (CTD + Current Meter) near surface - deployed 05.02.2005 08:50 GMT |
| Current meters | 26° 0' 0" S 46° 21' 0" E — Upward-looking ADCP at 400m, plus 2 x (CTD + Current Meter) -deployed 03.02.2005 12:00 GMT |
| Current meters | 26° 25' 0" S 46° 32' 59" E — String of 6 x (CTD + Current Meter) - deployed 10.02.2005 14:40 GMT |
| Current meters | 26° 53' 59" S 46° 46' 59" E — Upward-looking ADCP at 400m, plus 2 x (CTD + Current Meter) - deployed 16.02.2005 12:30 GMT |
| Current profiler (eg ADCP) | 26° 53' 59" S 46° 46' 59" E — Upward-looking ADCP at 400m, plus 2 x (CTD + Current Meter) - deployed 16.02.2005 12:30 GMT |
| Current profiler (eg ADCP) | 26° 0' 0" S 46° 21' 0" E — Upward-looking ADCP at 400m, plus 2 x (CTD + Current Meter) -deployed 03.02.2005 12:00 GMT |
| Current profiler (eg ADCP) | 26° 7' 59" S 47° 46' 0" E — MMP (McLane Moored Profiler) plus 1 x (CTD + Current Meter) near surface - deployed 05.02.2005 08:50 GMT |
| Surface drifters/drifting buoys | 25° 56' 59" S 47° 30' 0" E — Pop-up Ocean Drifter (POD1) date 04.02.2005 - FAILED |
| Surface drifters/drifting buoys | 25° 56' 59" S 47° 30' 0" E — Pop-up Ocean Drifter (POD2) date 04.02.2005 - WORKS |
| Surface drifters/drifting buoys | 25° 56' 59" S 47° 30' 0" E — Pop-up Ocean Drifter (POD3) date 04.02.2005 - FAILED |
| Surface drifters/drifting buoys | 25° 56' 59" S 47° 30' 0" E — Pop-up Ocean Drifter (POD4) date 04.02.2005 - WORKS |
| Surface drifters/drifting buoys | 23° 43' 59" S 50° 4' 59" E — ClearSat drifting buoy (deployed: 15.02.2005 03:40 GMT) |
| Surface drifters/drifting buoys | 25° 56' 59" S 47° 30' 0" E — ClearSat drifting buoy (deployed: 04.02.2005 17:30 GMT) |
