Resources

RRS Discovery D231

Cruise summary report

Cruise Info. 
Ship name (ship code)RRS Discovery (74E3)
Cruise identifierD231
Cruise period1998-02-28 — 1998-03-30
StatusCompleted
Port of departureSouthampton, United Kingdom
Port of returnSouthampton, United Kingdom
PurposeResearch
ObjectivesThe fifth of a series of cruises to the same area over a two-year period, involving 17 European partners funded under an EC (MAST III) contract - BENGAL. General objective: study of seasonal changes in organic and inorganic fluxes to deep-sea floor and the benthic processes affecting incorporation in sediments.
Main tasks:
1. Recover and redeploy sediment traps, bathysnap, MAC, MAP
2. Deploy and recover short-term moorings (Goteborg lander, Biofeed, Moored SAPS).
3. Obtain benthic samples and photographs (multiple core, box core, OTSB, Chalut, EPS, Sledge, Lotus, SPI).
4. Water column sampling/data - CTD and Rosette water sampler.
Chief scientistAnthony L Rice (Southampton Oceanography Centre)
ProjectBENGAL/MAST III
Coordinating bodySOC
Cruise reportRRS Discovery D231 cruise report d231.pdf (6.30 MB) 
Ocean/sea areas 
GeneralNorth East Atlantic Ocean (limit 40W)
SpecificGoban Spur
Measurements 
Physical oceanography 
CTD stationsQuantity: number of profiles = 10
Description: CTD for water column characterisation and water collection
Biology and fisheries 
Particulate organic matter (inc POC, PON)Quantity: number of profiles = 1
Description: Moored SAPS (stand alone pumps)
Pelagic bacteria/micro-organismsQuantity: number of profiles = 1
Description: Moored SAPS (stand alone pumps)
Benthic bacteria/micro-organismsQuantity: number of deployments = 15
Description: Multiple corer drops (12 cores each drop) - for meiofauna, sed. chem., O2, bacteria
ZoobenthosQuantity: number of deployments = 17
Description: Spade box core (macrofauna and sed. chem.)
ZoobenthosQuantity: number of hauls = 1
Description: Epibenthic sledge and video camera
ZoobenthosQuantity: number of hauls = 4
Description: Beam trawls
ZoobenthosQuantity: number of deployments = 2
Description: Easten corer - for sediment radio chemistry
ZoobenthosQuantity: number of deployments = 15
Description: Multiple corer drops (12 cores each drop) - for meiofauna, sed. chem., O2, bacteria
ZoobenthosQuantity: number of hauls = 6
Description: OTSB (otter trawl - semi balloon)
Moorings, landers, buoys 
Physical oceanography 
Current meters48° 58' 59" N  16° 12' 59" W — Relaid time-lapse seafloor photographic system
Current meters48° 57' 59" N  16° 11' 59" W — Recovered time-lapse seafloor photographic system (originally laid 26/07/97
Chemical oceanography 
Oxygen48° 49' 59" N  16° 30' 0" W — Deploy and recover Goteborg lander
Biology and fisheries 
Particulate organic matter (inc POC, PON)48° 58' 59" N  16° 13' 59" W — Relaid sediment trap mooring traps at 1000m, 3000m and 100 m.a.b.
Particulate organic matter (inc POC, PON)49° 0' 0" N  16° 12' 59" W — Recovered sediment trap mooring traps at 1000m, 3000m and 100 m.a.b. (originally laid 26/07/97)
Sediment traps49° 0' 0" N  16° 12' 59" W — Recovered sediment trap mooring traps at 1000m, 3000m and 100 m.a.b. (originally laid 26/07/97)
Sediment traps48° 58' 59" N  16° 13' 59" W — Relaid sediment trap mooring traps at 1000m, 3000m and 100 m.a.b.
Zoobenthos48° 53' 59" N  16° 24' 59" W — Deploy and recover enrichment module (Biofeed)
Zoobenthos48° 54' 59" N  16° 27' 59" W — Laid MAC mooring for recovery October 1998
Zoobenthos48° 55' 59" N  16° 25' 59" W — Laid MAP mooring for recovery October 1998
Zoobenthos48° 58' 59" N  16° 12' 59" W — Relaid time-lapse seafloor photographic system
Zoobenthos48° 49' 59" N  16° 30' 0" W — Deploy and recover Goteborg lander
Zoobenthos48° 57' 59" N  16° 11' 59" W — Recovered time-lapse seafloor photographic system (originally laid 26/07/97
Data held at BODC 
Discrete samples 
9  CTD frame plus rosette samplerTransmittance and attenuance of the water column
Salinity of the water column
Temperature of the water column
Dissolved oxygen parameters in the water column
Density of the water column
Raw fluorometer output