RRS James Cook JC237
Cruise summary report
| Cruise Info. | |
| Ship name (ship code) | RRS James Cook (740H) |
| Cruise identifier | JC237 |
| Cruise period | 2022-08-06 — 2022-09-04 |
| Status | Completed |
| Port of departure | Southampton, United Kingdom |
| Port of return | Southampton, United Kingdom |
| Purpose | Research |
| Objectives | JC237, part of the NERC-funded CLASS programme, focussed on the Whittard Canyon (Celtic Margin), and on the Porcupine Abyssal Plain. Both locations are 'fixed-point observatories' within CLASS, where repeated observations provide insights into how benthic ecosystems change over time, and how they react to both natural and anthropogenic disturbances. The expedition used the latest in deep-sea observing technology (AUV Autosub 5, ROV Isis, DeepGlider) to achieve its goals.
The aims of the expedition were: - To repeat ROV video surveys and AUV-based mapping from 2009 and 2015 to evaluate changes in canyon morphology, benthic community composition and species distribution patterns - To take well-positioned cores (gravity, mega- and ROV pushcores) to increase our knowledge about sediment transport through the canyon - To sample the different rock formations throughout the canyon to enable the construction of a geological map, and to investigate the role of substratum stability on benthic community distribution - To measure the water column structure in the Eastern branch, Explorer and Dangaard Canyon, and to quantify amplitude, velocity and energy fluxes caused by the internal tide - To carry out further habitat mapping at different resolutions in Whittard Canyon, to increase understanding of the system and to test predictive habitat models - To test and apply sideways multibeam mapping, in order to develop a true 3D habitat model of the canyon - To carry out AUV-based photo surveys and detailed ROV-based sampling of benthic fauna at the Porcupine Abyssal Plain. |
| Chief scientist | Veerle A Huvenne (National Oceanography Centre, Southampton) |
| Project | Climate Linked Atlantic Sector Science (CLASS) |
| Coordinating body | Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) |
| Cruise report |  (31.62 MB) |
| Ocean/sea areas | |
| General | Bay of Biscay North East Atlantic Ocean (limit 40W) |
| Specific | Whittard Canyon, Bay of Biscay, Porcupine Abyssal Plain |
| Track charts | (1.36 MB) |
| Measurements | |
| Physical oceanography | |
| CTD stations | Quantity: number of profiles = 21 Description: CTD casts (temp, sal, oxygen, turbidity, optical backscatter, water samples for eDNA) |
| Current profiler (eg ADCP) | Quantity: track kilometres = 4000 Description: ADCP 75kHz recording |
| Biology and fisheries | |
| Biochemical measurements (eg lipids, amino acids) | Quantity: number of stations = 5 Description: SAPS filtrations |
| Phytoplankton | Quantity: track kilometres = 2000 Description: Continuous plankton recorder |
| Other biological/fisheries measurement | Quantity: track kilometres = 2000 Description: Surface water samples for eDNA |
| Geology and geophysics | |
| Core - soft bottom | Quantity: number of cores = 12 Description: Gravity cores |
| Core - soft bottom | Quantity: number of cores = 6 Description: Mega cores for geology and biogeochemistry |
| Bottom photography | Quantity: number of dives = 17 Description: ROV dives (video, photography, 116 pushcores, rock samples, voucher specimens of benthic fauna) |
| Geophysical measurements made at depth | Quantity: number of dives = 15 Description: Autosub 5 AUV missions (Norbit multibeam, EdgeTech sidescan sonar, chirp, photography, RoCSI eDNA samples, Temp, Sal, ADCP) |
| Multi-beam echosounding | Quantity: survey square kilometres = 4000 Description: EM120 and EM710 multibeam data |
| Single channel seismic reflection | Quantity: track kilometres = 4000 Description: SBP120 track |
| Moorings, landers, buoys | |
| Physical oceanography | |
| Other physical oceanographic measurements | 48° 19' 11" N 9° 47' 27" W — DeepGlider recovered from 2130m on 1 Sept 2022 |
| Biology and fisheries | |
| Zoobenthos | 47° 52' 23" N 10° 10' 11" W — Bathysnap time-lapse photo frame recovered from 4000m on 8 Aug 2022 |
| Zoobenthos | 48° 16' 35" N 9° 38' 21" W — 2 Benthic settlement experiments deployed at 332m on 9 Aug 2022 |
