Resources

RRS Discovery D87

Cruise summary report

Cruise Info. 
Ship name (ship code)RRS Discovery (74E3)
Cruise identifierD87
Cruise period1977-10-08 — 1977-10-19
StatusCompleted
Port of departureBarry, United Kingdom
Port of returnGibraltar, Gibraltar
PurposeTrials
ObjectivesThe main objectives of the cruise were to carry out instrumented towing trials of the rectangular mid-water 1m2 and 8m2 trawl nets (RMT 1+8), to test a prototype pop-up bottom seismometer (PUBS Mk. II) and to experiment with the deployment and simultaneous operation of two airguns and a towed array. Consequently cruise planning proceeded mainly on a day to day basis, as demanded by the various tests required and except for a call at Lisbon, the ship's track was chosen to minimise steaming within the area of operation for which permission to work had been applied for.
Chief scientistRobert B Whitmarsh (Institute of Oceanographic Sciences Wormley Laboratory)
ProjectInstrument Testing West of Portugal
Cruise reportRRS Discovery D87 cruise report d87.pdf (5.17 MB) 
Ocean/sea areas 
GeneralBay of Biscay
North East Atlantic Ocean (limit 40W)
Strait of Gibraltar (Mediterranean Sea)
Track chartsRRS Discovery D87 cruise track — trk2080.html
Measurements 
Meteorology 
Routine standard measurementsQuantity: activity duration in days = 11
Description: continuous 2-minute averages
Geology and geophysics 
Multi-beam echosoundingQuantity: track kilometres = 2943