RRS Challenger CH148
Cruise summary report
| Cruise Info. | |
| Ship name (ship code) | RRS Challenger (74CH) |
| Cruise identifier | CH148 |
| Cruise period | 1999-09-16 — 1999-09-27 |
| Status | Completed |
| Port of departure | Southampton, United Kingdom |
| Port of return | Southampton, United Kingdom |
| Purpose | Research |
| Objectives | CCMS - IMPACT is a multidisciplinary programme designed to understand contaminant behaviour in the environment in order that toxic effects may be predicted. This cruise provides a platform for the first major study within "IMPACT". Cruise objectives are to:
1. Study dissipation/diffusion, degradation and cycling of contaminants from the Humber. 2. Measure the impact of pollutants (organic and inorganic) arising from UK land-based sources. 3. Study the remobilisation of contaminants from sediments from the Dogger bank. 4. Study transport processes and provide ADCP data for high resolution modelling of fronts. 5. Measure speciation and bioavailability of contaminants. Main tasks: 1. To sample water and sediment to quantify and budget critically selected organic compounds (pesticides, herbicides, antifouling booster biocides, PCBs, PAHs etc.). 2. Analyse discrete water samples on-board ship for dissolved Co (inorganic/ organic), Fe, Mn, Cr and V. 3. Examine the phase association of trace metals on the surface and sub surface samples to near bed. 4. In the case of Fe and Cr, investigate their dissolved redox speciation (Fe(II)/ Fe(III) and Cr(III)/Cr(VI)). 5. Determine particulate trace metal concentrations. 6. Measure dissolved nutrient concentrations. 7. Collect ADCP data for the high resolution modelling study of fronts. 8. Evaluate the use of mussel embryo-larvae as a means of determing water quality. 9. Implement the cellular biomarker techniques for the determination of toxicity. 10. Determine the concentrations of chemical contaminants in the microlayer, bulkwater, sediment elutriates and their relation with toxicity. 11. Address the integrated biological effects of complex mixtures along a pollution gradient. |
| Chief scientist | Tim Fileman (Plymouth Marine Laboratory) |
| Project | IMPACT |
| Coordinating body | CCMS - NERC |
| Ocean/sea areas | |
| General | North Sea |
| Specific | Humber estuary, Wash, Dogger Bank, Flamborough front, southern North Sea |
| Track charts |  |
| Measurements | |
| Physical oceanography | |
| CTD stations | Quantity: number of stations = 34 Description: Casts using CTD with oxygen, salinity, temperature, fluorescence, transmittance, up-light, down-light |
| Subsurface temperature and salinity measurements | Quantity: track kilometres = 2383 Description: Underway measurements of salinity, temperature, fluorescence, transmittance, from non-toxic |
| Current profiler (eg ADCP) | Quantity: track kilometres = 2383 Description: Underway current profiling using VMADCP |
| Chemical oceanography | |
| Phosphate | Quantity: number of stations = 34 Description: General oceanics multisampler/ CTD 10 litre Niskin bottles, vertical profiles - samples analysed by autoanalyser on board |
| Nitrate | Quantity: number of stations = 34 Description: General oceanics multisampler/ CTD 10 litre Niskin bottles, vertical profiles - samples analysed by autoanalyser on board |
| Nitrite | Quantity: number of stations = 34 Description: General oceanics multisampler/ CTD 10 litre Niskin bottles, vertical profiles - samples analysed by autoanalyser on board |
| Total - N | Quantity: number of stations = 34 Description: Modified lever action Niskin bottles on CTD for determination of dissolved, Fe, Co, Cr, U, Mo, V and total oxidised nitrogen (nitrate and nitrite) - samples taken at 3 or 4 depths per profile - determinations made on board by flow injection chemiluminescence, submersible flow injection and adsorptive cathodic stripping voltametry (AdCSV) |
| Silicate | Quantity: number of stations = 34 Description: General oceanics multisampler/ CTD 10 litre Niskin bottles, vertical profiles - samples analysed by autoanalyser on board |
| Contamination | |
| Suspended matter | Quantity: number of stations = 34 Description: Dissolved and particulate organic contaminants sampled by hand-held bottle sampler and extracted by liquid/liquid extraction for bulk "What's There" determination by GC/MS |
| Suspended matter | Quantity: number of stations = 2 Description: Sea surface microlayer sampler for ecotoxicological measurements combined with organics and particulate metal determinations |
| Trace metals | Quantity: number of stations = 34 Description: Modified lever action Niskin bottles on CTD for determination of dissolved, Fe, Co, Cr, U, Mo, V and total oxidised nitrogen (nitrate and nitrite) - samples taken at 3 or 4 depths per profile - determinations made on board by flow injection chemiluminescence, submersible flow injection and adsorptive cathodic stripping voltametry (AdCSV) |
| Trace metals | Quantity: number of stations = 33 Description: Sediment trace metals from day grab samples for later analysis by ICP/MS |
| Trace metals | Quantity: number of stations = 33 Description: Particulate trace metals from water filtered for CTD - NISKIN samples - for later analysis by ICP/MS |
| Petroleum residues | Quantity: number of stations = 15 Description: In-situ pumping system for collection of ultra-trace organic contaminants for later determination by GC/MS |
| Petroleum residues | Quantity: number of stations = 34 Description: Similar to above but for a wide range of priority pollutants |
| Chlorinated hydrocarbons | Quantity: number of stations = 15 Description: In-situ pumping system for collection of ultra-trace organic contaminants for later determination by GC/MS |
| Chlorinated hydrocarbons | Quantity: number of stations = 34 Description: Similar to above but for a wide range of priority pollutants |
| Other dissolved substances | Quantity: number of stations = 2 Description: Sea surface microlayer sampler for ecotoxicological measurements combined with organics and particulate metal determinations |
| Other dissolved substances | Quantity: number of stations = 34 Description: Dissolved antifouling booster biocides sampled by hand-held bottle sampler, 10m depth, for determination later by GC/MS |
| Other dissolved substances | Quantity: number of stations = 34 Description: Similar to above but for a wide range of priority pollutants |
| Other dissolved substances | Quantity: number of stations = 15 Description: In-situ pumping system for collection of ultra-trace organic contaminants for later determination by GC/MS |
| Other dissolved substances | Quantity: number of stations = 34 Description: Dissolved and particulate organic contaminants sampled by hand-held bottle sampler and extracted by liquid/liquid extraction for bulk "What's There" determination by GC/MS |
| Bottom deposits | Quantity: number of stations = 34 Description: Day grab for surface sediments to be analysed later for organic contaminants by GC/MS |
| Biology and fisheries | |
| Phytoplankton pigs (eg chlorophyll, fluorescence) | Quantity: number of stations = 34 Description: As for lugols - chlorophyll filters taken for later determination by fluorescence |
| Phytoplankton | Quantity: number of stations = 34 Description: As for nutrients above - lugols iodine samples taken for later determination of phytoplankton; samples taken at 10m |
| Other biological/fisheries measurement | Quantity: number of stations = 2 Description: Sea surface microlayer sampler for ecotoxicological measurements combined with organics and particulate metal determinations |
| Other biological/fisheries measurement | Quantity: number of stations = 34 Description: Sediment samples taken by day grab for determination of toxicity using cellular biomarker techniques |
| Other biological/fisheries measurement | Quantity: number of stations = 34 Description: Ecotoxicological measurements of toxicity of water and sediment using early life stages, cellular and physiological assays on invertebrates |
