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RV Lough Foyle LF 4702

Cruise summary report

Cruise Info. 
Ship name (ship code)RV Lough Foyle (74LG)
Cruise identifierLF 4702
Cruise period2002-11-17 — 2002-11-19
StatusCompleted
Port of departureBelfast, United Kingdom
Port of returnBelfast, United Kingdom
PurposeResearch
ObjectivesObjectives

1. To maintain a nutrient and remote monitoring programme at mooring stations38A and 47D.
2. To assess temperature, salinity and nutrient distributions over depth at stations 38A and 47D.
3. To characterise deep, high saline Atlantic water in the central Irish Sea.

Narrative

Sunday 17 November 2002. In preparation for the cruise, all DANI scientific crew were onboard by 1930 hrs when mooring components and the automated sampler were prepared for deployment. Following a talk on ship's safety and a demonstration of personal life saving equipment, the RV Lough Foyle departed Belfast at 2025 hrs and sailed overnight in a fresh south easterly wind towards mooring site station 38A.

Monday 18 November 2002. The vessel arrived on the mooring site at 0600 hrs. The weather was dry with a fresh to strong south easterly wind when work for the day commenced at 0745 hrs. Owing to the strong wind and sea state a decision was taken to postpone the mooring service. However weather conditions permitted the successful deployment of the rosette water sampler and zooplankton net. Following this the survey continued in a southerly direction to station 62 where the rosette water sampler was again deployed to acquire deep water samples. With the winds increasing the survey continued in a north westerly direction towards the coastal mooring station 47D. In deteriorating weather conditions the mooring service was aborted but water and zooplankton sampling was successfully completed. With gales forecast for the remainder of the week the vessel sailed to dock in Belfast at 0030 hrs Tuesday morning.

Tuesday 19 November 2002. Work for the day commenced at 0800 hrs when samples and some small pieces of equipment were removed from the vessel for return transportation to HQ. The scientific crew disembarked at 1045 hrs.
Chief scientistBrian Stewart (Department of Agriculture and Rural Development for Northern Ireland)
Cruise reportRV Lough Foyle LF 4702 cruise report lf47_02.pdf (0.03 MB) 
Ocean/sea areas 
GeneralIrish Sea and St. George's Channel
SpecificIrish Sea (north); ICES div. VIIa