RV Southern Surveyor SS2011 (GP13)

Cruise summary report

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Cruise Info.

Ship name (ship code)

RV Southern Surveyor (09SS)

Cruise identifier

SS2011 (GP13)

Cruise period

2011-05-13 — 2011-06-05

Status

Completed

Port of departure

Hobart, Australia

Port of return

Auckland, New Zealand

Purpose

Research

Objectives

Aims

1. Undertake an integrated zonal oceanographic transect east of Australia studying the marine biogeochemical cycles of TEIs, as part of Australasia's contribution to the international GEOTRACES program.
2. For the first time, establish the full water column, basin-scale distribution of TEIs (which a specific focus on iron, aluminium, manganese, copper, zinc, cobalt, cadmium), and investigate the role of micronutrient TEIs in the oceans surrounding Australia, and their relationship to environmental and ecosystem conditions.
3. Determine the sources, sinks and fluxes of iron and other TEIs (focussing on atmospheric dust delivery and biomass burning), as well as their transport, solubility and chemical form in the ocean. This includes the use of quasi-conservative elemental tracers of inputs, dissolution and redox cycling.
4. Collect subsamples for subsequent analysis of other GEOTRACES 'key parameters' (such as stable, radioactive and radiogenic isotopes; as listed in Table 2 of the GEOTRACES Science Plan) by international colleagues who are not able to participate in the field program.

Chief scientist

Andrew R Bowie (University of Tasmania, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies)

Project

GEOTRACES -Trace elements and their isotopes in the water column

Cruise report

(1.22 MB)

Ocean/sea areas

General

South Pacific Ocean
Tasman Sea

Specific

Transect along ~30S east of Australia out into the South Pacific

Track charts

(0.30 MB)

Measurements

Physical oceanography

CTD stations

Quantity: number of profiles = 76
Description: Temperature, measurement at the top and bottom of each CTD.

CTD stations

Quantity: number of measurements = 114
Description: Salinity, used to calibrate the sensor of the seabird 911, 2-3 samples per cast (depending on depth of CTD).

Chemical oceanography

Oxygen

Quantity: number of measurements = 114
Description: Dissolved oxygen, used to calibrate the sensor of the seabird 911, 2-3 samples per cast (depending on depth of CTD).

Phosphate

Quantity: number of samples = 190
Description: Nanonutrients (NOx, Si and PO4) taken at each TMR deployment. These need further analysis by flow injection and will complement analysis that were below detection limit from the MNF Hydrochemists

Phosphate

Quantity: number of samples = 760
Description: Major nutrients (NOx, Si and PO4) taken at each CTD deployment.

Total - N

Quantity: number of samples = 760
Description: Major nutrients (NOx, Si and PO4) taken at each CTD deployment.

Total - N

Silicate

Quantity: number of samples = 760
Description: Major nutrients (NOx, Si and PO4) taken at each CTD deployment.

Trace elements

Quantity: number of samples = 168
Description: Cu chemical speciation from the TMR. Sample will be analysed using electrochemical techniques.

Trace elements

Quantity: number of samples = 168
Description: Fe chemical speciation from the TMR. Sample will be analysed using electrochemical techniques.

Trace elements

Quantity: number of samples = 168
Description: Total dissolved trace metals (Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb) from the TMR. Sample will be analysed using ICP-MS.

Trace elements

Quantity: number of samples = 540
Description: Total dissolved trace metals (Cu, Mn, Fe) from the TMR. Sample will be analysed using isotope dilution ICP-MS.

Trace elements

Quantity: number of samples = 540
Description: Dissolved and total dissolvable iron from the TMR. These samples will be analysed in the lab using flow injection technique.

Trace elements

Quantity: number of samples = 150
Description: Dissolved trace metal stable (Cd) isotopic signature from the TMR. Sample will require further analysis using MC-ICP-MS technique.

Trace elements

Quantity: number of samples = 48
Description: Dissolved trace metals for GEOTRACES and AUS-NZ intercalibration exercises from the TMR. Analaysis using various techniques.

Trace elements

Quantity: number of samples = 28
Description: Particulate trace metals from the McLane pumps. These samples were collected on QMA filters and will require further analysis using ICP-MS.

Trace elements

Quantity: number of samples = 150
Description: Dissolved trace metal stable (Fe, Zn and Cu) isotopic signature from the TMR. Sample will require further analysis using MC-ICPMS technique.

Trace elements

Quantity: number of samples = 28
Description: Particulate iron mineralogy from the McLane pumps. These samples were collected on QMA filters and will require further analysis using X-ray synchrotron techniques. Collected for Dr Thato Mtshali (CSIR, South Africa)

Isotopes

Quantity: number of samples = 28
Description: Particulate trace metal stable isotopes from the McLane pumps. These samples were collected on polycarbonate filters and will require further analysis using MC-ICP-MS.

Isotopes

Quantity: number of samples = 28
Description: Particulate trace metal radiogenic (Pa, Th) isotopes from the McLane pumps. These samples were collected on polycarbonate filters and will require further analysis using MC-ICP-MS.

Isotopes

Quantity: number of samples = 114
Description: Dissolved radiogenic (Pa, Th, Nd) isotopes from the CTD. These samples will require further analysis using ICP-MS.

Other chemical oceanographic measurements

Quantity: number of samples = 100
Description: Suwannee River fulvic acid (SRFA)-like compounds from the TMR.

Other chemical oceanographic measurements

Quantity: number of samples = 112
Description: Dissolved barium from the CTD. These samples will require further analysis using ICP-MS.

Biology and fisheries

Phytoplankton pigs (eg chlorophyll, fluorescence)

Quantity: number of samples = 228
Description: Pigments and Chl a from the CTD. Analysis by HPLC technique back in the laboratory. These will be use to infer the biomass and the composition of the phytoplankton community.

Particulate organic matter (inc POC, PON)

Quantity: number of samples = 28
Description: Particulate organic carbon and nitrogen from the McLane pumps. These samples were collected on QMA filters and will require further analysis using mass spectrometry techniques.

Particulate organic matter (inc POC, PON)

Quantity: number of samples = 21
Description: Particulate organic carbon and nitrogen from 3 depths on the CTD used to complement McLane pump samples. Samples collected for land-based mass spectrometry analysis.

Pelagic bacteria/micro-organisms

Quantity: number of samples = 228
Description: Picoplankton and bacterial abundance from the CTD using flow cytometry.