RRS James Clark Ross JR19970914 (AMT5, JR23)
Cruise summary report
| Cruise Info. | |
| Ship name (ship code) | RRS James Clark Ross (74JC) |
| Cruise identifier | JR19970914 (AMT5, JR23) |
| Cruise period | 1997-09-14 — 1997-10-17 |
| Status | Completed |
| Port of departure | Grimsby, United Kingdom |
| Port of return | Stanley, Falkland Islands (Malvinas) |
| Objectives | The Atlantic Meridional Transect (AMT) Program exploits the passage of the Royal Research Ship (RRS) James Clark Ross (JCR) latitudinally through the Atlantic Ocean between the United Kingdom and the Falkland Islands (approximately 52° N to 52° S) in support of British Antarctic Survey (BAS) research activities in the Antarctic and its environs. In September, the JCR sails southward, sampling the boreal fall and the austral spring; the following April it returns to the UK sampling the austral fall and the boreal spring.
There are three objectives of the AMT Program. The first is to derive an improved understanding of the links between biogeochemical processes, biogenic gas exchange, air-sea interactions, and the effects on, and the responses of, oceanic ecosystems to climate change. The second is to investigate the functional roles of biological particles and processes that influence ocean colour in ecosystem dynamics. The Program relates directly to algorithm development and the validation of remotely-sensed observations of ocean colour. Because the Sea-viewing Wide-Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) instrument achieved operational status during the cruise (on 18th September). AMT-5 was designated the SeaWiFS data during the first 100 days of operations. This third objective involved in the near-real time reporting of in situ light and prigment obersvations to the Sea WiFS Project, so the performance of the satellite sensor could be determined. |
| Chief scientist | James Aiken (Plymouth Marine Laboratory) |
| Project | AMT |
| Cruise report |  (1.56 MB) |
| Ocean/sea areas | |
| General | North Atlantic Ocean South Atlantic Ocean |
| Measurements | |
| Physical oceanography | |
| Water bottle stations | Description: Water bottle samples were collected. No. of samples not noted. |
| CTD stations | Quantity: number of measurements = 1 Description: CTD data was gathered from several stations. No. of stations sampled no noted. |
| Optics (eg underwater light levels) | Description: Optical data was gathered from various stations. No. of samples not noted. |
| Biology and fisheries | |
| Phytoplankton pigs (eg chlorophyll, fluorescence) | Description: Underway data samples were taken. Pigments and zooplankton samples were collected. No. of samples not noted. |
| Zooplankton | Description: Underway data samples were taken. Pigments and zooplankton samples were collected. No. of samples not noted. |
| Data held at BODC | Get data |
| Discrete samples | |
| 35 CTD frame plus rosette sampler | Transmittance and attenuance of the water column Organosulphur and organoselenium species concentration parameters in water bodies Particulate total and organic nitrogen concentrations in the water column Nitrite concentration parameters in the water column Carotenoid and flavenoid pigment concentrations in water bodies Phosphate concentration parameters in the water column Salinity of the water column Temperature of the water column Silicate concentration parameters in the water column Visible waveband radiance and irradiance measurements in the water column Density of the water column Raw light meter output Nitrate concentration parameters in the water column Phaeopigment concentrations in the water column Metadata parameters Raw fluorometer output Primary production in the water column Particulate total and organic carbon concentrations in the water column Chlorophyll pigment concentrations in water bodies |
| 134 Expendable Bathythermograph | Temperature of the water column |
| 460 Sample taken from ship's non-toxic supply | Organosulphur and organoselenium species concentration parameters in water bodies Particulate total and organic nitrogen concentrations in the water column Carotenoid and flavenoid pigment concentrations in water bodies Phaeopigment concentrations in the water column Particulate total and organic carbon concentrations in the water column Chlorophyll pigment concentrations in water bodies |
| 42 WP-2 zooplankton net |