Resources

RV Pelagia PE340

Cruise summary report

Cruise Info. 
Ship name (ship code)RV Pelagia (64PE)
Cruise identifierPE340
Cruise period2011-06-17 — 2011-07-04
StatusCompleted
Port of departureHet Horntje, Netherlands
Port of returnHet Horntje, Netherlands
PurposeResearch
ObjectivesAims

To study phytoplankton production and loss by grazing and viral lysis, comparison of primary and secondary production, phytoplankton composition and zooplankton biomass. This will be done at 9 main stations of which 3 are in UK-territory. Samples will be taken using a CTD rosette sampler and vertical nets. On board analysis will be carried out using a flow cytometer container placed in a thermo container that can be set at in situ temperature. Growth experiments will be carried out in an incubator, placed on deck.

Monitor developments of biodiversity and ecosystem services (biomass) in NATURA2000 and selected sensitive areas. For this purpose, samples of the macro - and megafaunal invertebrates and fish will be collected. Further, video records of the seabed will be made with a hopper camera to study small scale features (stones, gravel - Klaverbank), topography (ripples, burrows etc) and fauna-seabed interactions. To upscale this information, video data will be collated with seismic data (multibeam, sidescan) to arrive at habitat maps (cooperation with dept. GEO)

Monitor changes in the T, O2 and other physico-chemical parameters in sensitive areas by means of permanent moorings. Target locations for these activities are:
1. Stratified Oyster grounds where both CEFAS and NIOZ have deployed long-term moorings in the past (e.g. BSIK programme).
2. The Dutch coast which is important from economic and ecological perspective. NIOZ has operated mooring in the coastal zone since 2007 in the nearshore OWEZ and Egmond aan Zee. Other process- oriented ecological and physical studies can be easily tied in to these moorings.

The present cruise is also used to replace a mooring at the above mentioned Egmond aan Zee monitoring site. In addition some boxcores will be taken at this site.
Chief scientistHenk de Haas (Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research)
ProjectNorth Sea Monitoring
Cruise reportRV Pelagia PE340 cruise report pe340.pdf (4.70 MB) 
NPRCRV Pelagia PE340 NPRC pelagia_pe340.pdf (0.12 MB) 
Ocean/sea areas 
GeneralNorth Sea
SpecificSouthern North Sea
Track chartsRV Pelagia PE340 cruise track — pe340trk.pdf (0.27 MB)