RRS James Cook JC241
Cruise summary report
| Cruise Info. | |
| Ship name (ship code) | RRS James Cook (740H) |
| Cruise identifier | JC241 |
| Cruise period | 2023-02-04 — 2023-03-26 |
| Status | Completed |
| Port of departure | Caldera, Costa Rica |
| Port of return | Caldera, Costa Rica |
| Purpose | Research |
| Objectives | This cruise is part of the Seabed Mining And Resilience To EXperimental impact (SMARTEX) project funded by the UK Natural Environment Research Council (Grant Reference NE/T003537/1).
This is the second UK cruise to the Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ) in the northern equatorial Pacific, an area likely to be targeted for deep-sea mining for polymetallic nodules. The first (JC120) was carried out in 2015. This is the first cruise for the SMARTEX project (of two planned). Scientific aims 1. Understand the remaining impact of a realistic mining test on the benthic environment and its fauna after 44 years 2. Assess natural temporal change in macrofaunal communities between 1989 and 2023 (at PRA site) 3. Provide the first characterisation of megafaunal species and communities present at APEI-13 (linked outreach and policy interaction aim) 4. Characterise the environment and ecology of the UK-1 area in advance of a planned nodule collector test Scientific objectives by site OMCO 1979 experimental site - Map impacts of 1979 test on seabed habitats - Assess geochemical changes caused by test - Assess biological changes caused by test (mega, macro, meiofauna + eDNA) - Assess changes in ecosystem functioning caused by track (nutrient uptake / foodwebs) PRA - Assess natural temporal change in macrofaunal communities between 1989 and 2023 UK-1 - Understand seasonal changes in seafloor currents and benthic boundary layer processes at UK-1 - Produce a map of seabed habitats in area of planned collector test - Understand spatial variability in sedimentary geochemistry and biogeochemistry - Assess the scale dependency of megafaunal communities and eDNA at scales of 1 – 10s of km at UK-1 - Assess seasonal changes (over 1-year) in benthic megafaunal and nodule fauna presence and activity (time-lapse camera study) - Extend our biodiversity assessment of the UK-1 area (from ABYSSLINE) particularly in benthic megafauna, scavenging fishes, and amphipods and macrofauna (sediment and nodule-dwelling) Multi-site - Extend our biodiversity assessment of the CCZ particularly in benthic megafauna, scavenging fishes, and amphipods and macrofauna (sediment and nodule-dwelling) - Improve our understanding of connectivity of mega and macrofauna - Obtain baseline measurements of exposure biomarkers in fish blood and tissue samples (OMCO and UK-1) |
| Chief scientist | Daniel O B Jones (National Oceanography Centre, Southampton) |
| Project | Seabed Mining And Resilience To EXperimental impact (SMARTEX) |
| Coordinating body | Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) |
| Cruise report |  (33.95 MB) |
| Ocean/sea areas | |
| General | North East Pacific Ocean (limit 180W) |
| Specific | Clarion Clipperton Zone |
| Track charts | (0.45 MB) |
| Measurements | |
| Physical oceanography | |
| CTD stations | Quantity: number of deployments = 6 Description: CTD |
| Biology and fisheries | |
| Zoobenthos | Quantity: number of deployments = 4 Description: Fish trap |
| Zoobenthos | Quantity: number of deployments = 9 Description: Megacore |
| Zoobenthos | Quantity: number of deployments = 43 Description: Boxcore |
| Zoobenthos | Quantity: number of deployments = 15 Description: Remotely Operated Vehicle images, multibeam and samples |
| Demersal fish | Quantity: number of deployments = 4 Description: Fish trap |
| Geology and geophysics | |
| Core - soft bottom | Quantity: number of deployments = 8 Description: Gravity core |
| Core - soft bottom | Quantity: number of deployments = 9 Description: Megacore |
| Multi-beam echosounding | Quantity: number of deployments = 15 Description: Remotely Operated Vehicle images, multibeam and samples |
| Multi-beam echosounding | Quantity: number of surveys = 1 Description: Multibeam from ship |
| Moorings, landers, buoys | |
| Physical oceanography | |
| CTD stations | 13° 53' 24" N 116° 29' 23" W — 1000 m mooring with sediment traps, current meters, thermistor chain and CTDs |
| CTD stations | 13° 56' 29" N 116° 30' 22" W — 100 m mooring with sediment trap, current meter and CTD |
| CTD stations | 13° 52' 27" N 116° 32' 35" W — 100 m mooring with sediment trap, current meter and CTD |
| Subsurface temperature measurements | 13° 53' 24" N 116° 29' 23" W — 1000 m mooring with sediment traps, current meters, thermistor chain and CTDs |
| Current meters | 13° 53' 24" N 116° 29' 23" W — 1000 m mooring with sediment traps, current meters, thermistor chain and CTDs |
| Current meters | 13° 56' 29" N 116° 30' 22" W — 100 m mooring with sediment trap, current meter and CTD |
| Current meters | 13° 52' 27" N 116° 32' 35" W — 100 m mooring with sediment trap, current meter and CTD |
| Biology and fisheries | |
| Zoobenthos | 13° 53' 16" N 116° 30' 35" W — Time-lapse camera system |
| Zoobenthos | 13° 54' 51" N 116° 31' 15" W — Time-lapse camera system |
