Resources

RRS Challenger CH5/84

Cruise summary report

Cruise Info. 
Ship name (ship code)RRS Challenger (74CH)
Cruise identifierCH5/84
Cruise period1984-08-11 — 1984-08-28
StatusCompleted
Port of departureFalmouth, United Kingdom
Port of returnDunstaffnage, United Kingdom
PurposeResearch
Objectives1. To recover a Bathysnap at 2000m deployed on cruise 519.
2. To grapple for a Bathysnap deployed on cruise 517 (Challenger 6/83) and a sediment trap array deployed on cruise 519 (Frederick Russell 6/84), both of which subsequently failed to release.
3. To attempt to locate, and possibly grapple for, a Bidston pressure recorder which had also failed to release.
4. To obtain a series of samples with the SMBA multiple corer at depths ranging from 500m to 2700m.
5. To make two measurements of sediment community oxygen consumption using the suspended corer technique..
6. To obtain a small number of epibenthic sledge samples and particuarly one at 1200m to sample the Pheronema community and to collect living Dorhyncus.
7. To sample the upper part of the water column to collect post-larval Dorhyncus.
8. To investigate the necrophage community at the proposed CYAPORC working sites at approximately 50º 22'N, 12º 43'W and 50º 45'N, 11º 20'W using a baited Bathysnap, amphipod trap and camera system.
9. To carry out preliminary experiments on the use of homing pigeons to transport sediment samples rapidly to Cardiff for bacteriological studies.
10. To obtain a series of long photosledge transects from about 700m to 1500m to investigate the detailed distribution of the megafauna.
Chief scientistAnthony L Rice (Institute of Oceanographic Sciences Wormley Laboratory)
Cruise reportRRS Challenger CH5/84 cruise report ch5_84.pdf (0.82 MB) 
Ocean/sea areas 
GeneralIrish Sea and St. George's Channel
North East Atlantic Ocean (limit 40W)
SpecificN.E. Atlantic/ Porcupine Bight
Track chartsRRS Challenger CH5/84 cruise track — trk3171a.html RRS Challenger CH5/84 cruise track — trk3171b.html
Measurements 
Biology and fisheries 
Benthic bacteria/micro-organismsQuantity: number of cores = 19
Description: measurements on mud cores
ZoobenthosQuantity: number of stations = 6
Description: identification,description of communities
BirdsQuantity: number of observations = 120
Description: ten minute observations made on an opportunistic basis.
Other biological/fisheries measurementQuantity: number of experiments = 2
Description: Benthic Respirometry
Geology and geophysics 
Core - soft bottomQuantity: number of cores = 19
Bottom photographyQuantity: number of deployments = 6
Description: more than 5000 photos using Bathysnap.