RRS Discovery D250
Cruise summary report
| Cruise Info. | |
| Ship name (ship code) | RRS Discovery (74E3) |
| Cruise identifier | D250 |
| Cruise period | 2000-09-15 — 2000-10-10 |
| Status | Completed |
| Port of departure | Southampton, United Kingdom |
| Port of return | Southampton, United Kingdom |
| Purpose | Research |
| Objectives | First in a series of five cruises in the Porcupine Seabight to investigate activity and distribution of deep-sea demersal fish. Additional funding from SOC provided time to service a sediment trap at Porcupine Abyssal Plain location.
Cruise utilised OTSB trawls to sample demersal fauna at depths of 1500 m - 4800 m. Data on fish and cephalopods collected by Aberdeen University (A) and other invertebrates by SOC (B). Aberdeen University autonomous landers collected in-situ data on deep-sea fish activity and bioluminescence. |
| Chief scientist | Martin A Collins (University of Aberdeen, Oceanlab) |
| Project | Metabolism, activity and distribution patterns of deep-sea demersal fishes |
| Coordinating body | NERC funded |
| Cruise report |  (0.59 MB) |
| Ocean/sea areas | |
| General | North East Atlantic Ocean (limit 40W) |
| Specific | Porcupine Seabight; Goban Spur; Porcupine Abyssal Plain |
| Track charts | (0.05 MB) |
| Measurements | |
| Physical oceanography | |
| CTD stations | Quantity: number of stations = 3 Description: CTD with water bottles |
| Biology and fisheries | |
| Zoobenthos | Quantity: number of stations = 9 Description: OTSB trawls. Holothurians sampled for taxonomy. Asteroids sampled for taxonomy and molecular biology. Full analysis of invertebrates at PAP for long-term studies. |
| Demersal fish | Quantity: number of stations = 9 Description: OTSB trawls. Holothurians sampled for taxonomy. Asteroids sampled for taxonomy and molecular biology. Full analysis of invertebrates at PAP for long-term studies. |
| Demersal fish | Quantity: number of stations = 9 Description: OTSB trawls. Fish retained for taxonomy. Fish muscle, heart, liver and brain taken for enzyme activity. Fish brains sampled for anatomical and biochemical studies. Fish eyes sampled for vision studies. Cephalopods sampled for taxonomy and ecology. |
| Exploratory fishing | Quantity: number of stations = 9 Description: OTSB trawls. Fish retained for taxonomy. Fish muscle, heart, liver and brain taken for enzyme activity. Fish brains sampled for anatomical and biochemical studies. Fish eyes sampled for vision studies. Cephalopods sampled for taxonomy and ecology. |
| Exploratory fishing | Quantity: number of stations = 9 Description: OTSB trawls. Holothurians sampled for taxonomy. Asteroids sampled for taxonomy and molecular biology. Full analysis of invertebrates at PAP for long-term studies. |
| Moorings, landers, buoys | |
| Physical oceanography | |
| Current meters | 49° 39' 59" N 13° 56' 59" W — Fish activity lander |
| Current meters | 49° 0' 0" N 16° 30' 0" W — Fish activity lander |
| Current meters | 49° 52' 59" N 14° 12' 59" W — Fish activity lander |
| Current meters | 50° 17' 59" N 13° 12' 59" W — Fish activity lander |
| Current meters | 49° 43' 59" N 14° 3' 59" W — Fish activity lander |
| Biology and fisheries | |
| Sediment traps | 48° 58' 59" N 16° 25' 59" W — Sediment trap recovery |
| Phytobenthos | 51° 27' 0" N 11° 45' 0" W — Bathysnap deployment |
| Phytobenthos | 51° 27' 0" N 11° 45' 0" W — Bathysnap recovery |
| Zoobenthos | 51° 27' 0" N 11° 45' 0" W — Bathysnap recovery |
| Zoobenthos | 51° 27' 0" N 11° 45' 0" W — Bathysnap deployment |
| Demersal fish | 50° 17' 59" N 13° 12' 59" W — Fish activity lander |
| Demersal fish | 49° 52' 59" N 14° 12' 59" W — Fish activity lander |
| Demersal fish | 49° 49' 59" N 14° 3' 59" W — Fish respirometer |
| Demersal fish | 49° 0' 0" N 16° 30' 0" W — Fish activity lander |
| Demersal fish | 49° 39' 59" N 13° 56' 59" W — Fish activity lander |
| Demersal fish | 49° 43' 59" N 14° 3' 59" W — Fish activity lander |
| Demersal fish | 50° 30' 0" N 15° 0' 0" W — Fish respirometer |
| Gear research | 48° 18' 59" N 11° 54' 59" W — DERA materials pressure test recovered |
| Other biological/fisheries measurement | 50° 0' 0" N 14° 19' 59" W — Bioluminescence study |
| Other biological/fisheries measurement | 49° 42' 59" N 14° 0' 0" W — Bioluminescence study |
| Other biological/fisheries measurement | 49° 45' 0" N 14° 3' 0" W — Bioluminescence study |
| Other biological/fisheries measurement | 51° 9' 59" N 11° 40' 59" W — Bioluminescence study |
