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RRS Discovery D204 Leg 1
Cruise summary report
Cruise Info. | |
Ship name (ship code) | RRS Discovery (74E3) |
Cruise identifier | D204 Leg 1 |
Cruise period | 1993-09-24 — 1993-10-20 |
Status | Completed |
Port of departure | Las Palmas, Spain |
Port of return | Dakar, Senegal |
Purpose | Research |
Objectives | Benthic and benthopelagic sampling and seafloor photography
1) To obtain a suite of benthic samples and data from the oligotrophic site of the French EUMELI programme (at 21 degrees N, 31 degrees W) for comparision with similar data from the Porcupine Abyssal Plain and the Madeira Abyssal Plain sites of the IOSDL DEEPSEAS programme 2) To study the photobiology of midwater fauna, particularly amphipods, decapods and fish, in terms of bioluminescence, behaviour and anatomy. 3) To analyse the distribution of the macrozooplankton using a combination of Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) recordings correlated with Longhurst-Hardy Plankton Recorder (LHPR) samples in an area expected to have high pelagic biomass resulting from the high productivity of the Mauritanian coastal upwelling. Cruise was delayed due to a refit and some necessary equipment was missing. Temporary solutions were constructed for the RMT. 13 multiple cores, 10 box core, 6 semi-balloon otter trawls (OTSB), 6 epibenthic sledges, 4 wide angle survey photographic instrument (WASP) runs, 6 CTDs, 11 rectangular midwater trawl RMTs, 2 short-term Bathysnack (camera system) deployments, 3 DEMAR amphipod trap deployments and a long-term Bathysnap (camera system) deployment for later recovery. |
Chief scientist | Anthony L Rice (Institute of Oceanographic Sciences Deacon Laboratory) |
Project | Leg 1 MAST II - contract MAS2-920033 and IOSDL DEEPSEAS Programme |
Coordinating body | IOSDL/CEC MAST |
Cruise report | (0.49 MB) |
Ocean/sea areas | |
General | North East Atlantic Ocean (limit 40W) |
Specific | Eastern tropical and sub-tropical Atlantic |
Track charts | |
Measurements | |
Physical oceanography | |
CTD stations | Quantity: number of stations = 6 |
Current profiler (eg ADCP) | Description: shipborne ADCP |
Biology and fisheries | |
Pelagic bacteria/micro-organisms | Quantity: number of hauls = 6 Description: bacterial numbers |
Benthic bacteria/micro-organisms | Quantity: number of cores = 13 Description: multiple corer |
Zoobenthos | Quantity: number of cores = 13 Description: multiple corer |
Zoobenthos | Quantity: number of deployments = 3 Description: DEMAR amphipod trap |
Birds | Quantity: number of observations = 150 Description: 10 minute bird watches Las Palmas to 21N, 31W to Dakar |
Pelagic fish | Quantity: number of hauls = 11 Description: 11 rectangular midwater trawls (RMT) |
Demersal fish | Quantity: number of hauls = 11 Description: 11 rectangular midwater trawls (RMT) |
Demersal fish | Quantity: number of cores = 10 Description: spade box corer |
Molluscs | Quantity: number of cores = 10 Description: spade box corer |
Crustaceans | Quantity: number of hauls = 6 Description: epibenthic slegde and semi-balloon otter trawls (OTSB) |
Geology and geophysics | |
Bottom photography | Quantity: number of deployments = 1 Description: long-term Bathysnap (camera system) |
Bottom photography | Quantity: number of deployments = 2 Description: short-term Bathysnack (camera system) |
Bottom photography | Quantity: number of surveys = 4 Description: WASP runs |
Moorings, landers, buoys | |
Biology and fisheries | |
Zoobenthos | 21° 4' 59" N 31° 13' 0" W — as above (+B21) |
Zoobenthos | 21° 1' 59" N 31° 10' 59" W — as above (+B19, B21) |
Zoobenthos | 21° 1' 0" N 31° 13' 0" W — baited traps (+B21) |
Zoobenthos | 21° 4' 59" N 31° 11' 59" W — as above (+B19, B21) |
Zoobenthos | 21° 4' 59" N 31° 7' 0" W — baited traps (+B21) |
Zoobenthos | 21° 1' 0" N 31° 10' 59" W — as above |
Zoobenthos | 21° 4' 0" N 31° 7' 0" W — as above (+B21) |
Zoobenthos | 21° 3' 0" N 31° 10' 59" W — free fall camera depl., baited and unbaited for |
Demersal fish | 21° 1' 59" N 31° 10' 59" W — as above (+B19, B21) |
Demersal fish | 21° 3' 0" N 31° 10' 59" W — activity of benthic organisms |
Demersal fish | 21° 4' 59" N 31° 11' 59" W — as above (+B19, B21) |
Crustaceans | 21° 4' 59" N 31° 7' 0" W — baited traps (+B21) |
Crustaceans | 21° 4' 59" N 31° 13' 0" W — as above (+B21) |
Crustaceans | 21° 3' 0" N 31° 10' 59" W — |
Crustaceans | 21° 1' 0" N 31° 13' 0" W — baited traps (+B21) |
Crustaceans | 21° 1' 59" N 31° 10' 59" W — as above (+B19, B21) |
Crustaceans | 21° 4' 59" N 31° 11' 59" W — as above (+B19, B21) |
Crustaceans | 21° 4' 0" N 31° 7' 0" W — as above (+B21) |