RRS Discovery D264
Cruise summary report
| Cruise Info. | |
| Ship name (ship code) | RRS Discovery (74E3) |
| Cruise identifier | D264 |
| Cruise period | 2002-07-25 — 2002-08-28 |
| Status | Completed |
| Port of departure | Fairlie, United Kingdom |
| Port of return | Fairlie, United Kingdom |
| Purpose | Research |
| Objectives | RRS Discovery cruise 264 was the third of four supported by the NERC Marine Productivity (MarProd) thematic programme. The MarProd cruise series provides the main opportunity for data- and sample-gathering to address the overall programme goal, viz: "to develop coupled modelling and observation systems for the pelagic ecosystem, with emphasis on physical factors affecting zooplankton dynamics". The principal cruise-specific research objectives for Discovery 264 were as follows: 1) Map the physical features of the survey region (Irminger Sea and parts of the Iceland Basin) in terms of water mass distribution, velocity field and mixed layer properties 2) To measure high resolution profiles of inorganic nutrient concentrations 3) Collect water samples for plant pigment and microscopic analyses, to estimate the biomass of different taxonomic/functional groups of microplankton. 4) Determine the 3D abundance of mesozooplankton of interest (primarily the copepod Calanus finmarchicus), and their planktivorous predators (primarily euphausiid spp), obtaining material for further taxonomic, physiological and biochemical studies. The process studies covered: estimation of primary productivity, Calanus egg production and naupliae development, the influence of food quality on calanus egg production, Oithona and Calanus naupliae feeding experiments, Oithona egg production, collection of samples for lipid hormone analysis, collection of samples fo C/N and stable isotope ratios. The broad scope of the dataset compiled by the Marine Productivity series of cruises to the Irminger Sea is intended to facilitate comparisons with historical datasets (eg NORWESTLANT, 1963 and Continuous Plankton Recorder surveys); EU-supported zooplankton programmes (TASC and ICOS); and other national and international studies. |
| Chief scientist | Andrew S Brierley (Gatty Marine Laboratory) |
| Project | Marine Productivity |
| Coordinating body | UK-NERC |
| Cruise report |  (6.28 MB) |
| Ocean/sea areas | |
| General | North Atlantic Ocean |
| Specific | Northern North Atlantic, Iceland Basin, Irminger Sea, Reykjanes Ridge |
| Track charts | (0.31 MB) |
| Measurements | |
| Physical oceanography | |
| Water bottle stations | Quantity: number of stations = 23 Description: CTD: Sea-Bird 911+ with dual CT sensors, dissolved oxygen sensor, transmissometer, fluorometer, OBS, Niskin bottles. |
| Water bottle stations | Quantity: number of deployments = 26 Description: ARIES towed zooplankton multinet system with CTD, fluorometer, transmissometer, OPC, water bottle sampler for sal and chl calibration samples and nutrients, and zooplankton net systems (discrete and integrated). |
| Water bottle stations | Quantity: number of stations = 22 Description: Ocean Sampler towed multinet system with water sampling system and OPC |
| CTD stations | Quantity: number of deployments = 26 Description: ARIES towed zooplankton multinet system with CTD, fluorometer, transmissometer, OPC, water bottle sampler for sal and chl calibration samples and nutrients, and zooplankton net systems (discrete and integrated). |
| CTD stations | Quantity: number of stations = 23 Description: CTD: Sea-Bird 911+ with dual CT sensors, dissolved oxygen sensor, transmissometer, fluorometer, OBS, Niskin bottles. |
| Subsurface temperature and salinity measurements | Description: Ship's underway navigation, sea surface (thermosalinograph, transm, fluor and FRRF) and meterorogical measurements plus 75 and 150 kHz VM-ADCP and wave measurements. |
| Transparency (eg transmissometer) | Quantity: number of stations = 23 Description: CTD: Sea-Bird 911+ with dual CT sensors, dissolved oxygen sensor, transmissometer, fluorometer, OBS, Niskin bottles. |
| Transparency (eg transmissometer) | Description: Ship's underway navigation, sea surface (thermosalinograph, transm, fluor and FRRF) and meterorogical measurements plus 75 and 150 kHz VM-ADCP and wave measurements. |
| Transparency (eg transmissometer) | Quantity: number of deployments = 26 Description: ARIES towed zooplankton multinet system with CTD, fluorometer, transmissometer, OPC, water bottle sampler for sal and chl calibration samples and nutrients, and zooplankton net systems (discrete and integrated). |
| Optics (eg underwater light levels) | Quantity: number of stations = 23 Description: CTD: Sea-Bird 911+ with dual CT sensors, dissolved oxygen sensor, transmissometer, fluorometer, OBS, Niskin bottles. |
| Current profiler (eg ADCP) | Quantity: number of stations = 28 Description: 300 & 600 kHz ADCP mounted on CTD frame. |
| Chemical oceanography | |
| Oxygen | Quantity: number of stations = 23 Description: CTD: Sea-Bird 911+ with dual CT sensors, dissolved oxygen sensor, transmissometer, fluorometer, OBS, Niskin bottles. |
| Oxygen | Description: Nutrient and dissolved gas profiles at CTD and ARIES stations, and underway non-toxic supply |
| Phosphate | Description: Nutrient and dissolved gas profiles at CTD and ARIES stations, and underway non-toxic supply |
| Nitrate | Description: Nutrient and dissolved gas profiles at CTD and ARIES stations, and underway non-toxic supply |
| Silicate | Description: Nutrient and dissolved gas profiles at CTD and ARIES stations, and underway non-toxic supply |
| Biology and fisheries | |
| Phytoplankton pigs (eg chlorophyll, fluorescence) | Description: Total and size fractionated chlorophyll concentration from CTD, ARIES, Ocean Sampler stations, and underway non-toxic supply. |
| Phytoplankton pigs (eg chlorophyll, fluorescence) | Quantity: number of deployments = 26 Description: ARIES towed zooplankton multinet system with CTD, fluorometer, transmissometer, OPC, water bottle sampler for sal and chl calibration samples and nutrients, and zooplankton net systems (discrete and integrated). |
| Phytoplankton pigs (eg chlorophyll, fluorescence) | Description: Ship's underway navigation, sea surface (thermosalinograph, transm, fluor and FRRF) and meterorogical measurements plus 75 and 150 kHz VM-ADCP and wave measurements. |
| Phytoplankton pigs (eg chlorophyll, fluorescence) | Quantity: number of deployments = 23 Description: Fast Repetition rate Fluorometer (FRRF), short, vertical casts. |
| Biochemical measurements (eg lipids, amino acids) | Quantity: number of deployments = 26 Description: ARIES towed zooplankton multinet system with CTD, fluorometer, transmissometer, OPC, water bottle sampler for sal and chl calibration samples and nutrients, and zooplankton net systems (discrete and integrated). |
| Biochemical measurements (eg lipids, amino acids) | Quantity: number of hauls = 22 Description: Dual Methot net |
| Zooplankton | Quantity: number of stations = 22 Description: Ocean Sampler towed multinet system with water sampling system and OPC |
| Zooplankton | Quantity: number of deployments = 7 Description: Continuous Plankton Recorder |
| Zooplankton | Quantity: number of hauls = 22 Description: Dual Methot net |
| Zooplankton | Quantity: number of deployments = 26 Description: ARIES towed zooplankton multinet system with CTD, fluorometer, transmissometer, OPC, water bottle sampler for sal and chl calibration samples and nutrients, and zooplankton net systems (discrete and integrated). |
| Acoustic reflection on marine organisms. | Quantity: number of stations = 28 Description: 300 & 600 kHz ADCP mounted on CTD frame. |
| Acoustic reflection on marine organisms. | Quantity: number of deployments = 54 Description: Lowered EK500 scientific echosounder |
| Other biological/fisheries measurement | Quantity: number of deployments = 26 Description: ARIES towed zooplankton multinet system with CTD, fluorometer, transmissometer, OPC, water bottle sampler for sal and chl calibration samples and nutrients, and zooplankton net systems (discrete and integrated). |
| Other biological/fisheries measurement | Quantity: number of hauls = 22 Description: Dual Methot net |
| Meteorology | |
| Incident radiation | Description: Ship's underway navigation, sea surface (thermosalinograph, transm, fluor and FRRF) and meterorogical measurements plus 75 and 150 kHz VM-ADCP and wave measurements. |
| Other meteorological measurements | Description: Ship's underway navigation, sea surface (thermosalinograph, transm, fluor and FRRF) and meterorogical measurements plus 75 and 150 kHz VM-ADCP and wave measurements. |
| Moorings, landers, buoys | |
| Meteorology | |
| Routine standard measurements | 61° 26' 18" N 40° 0' 0" W — UK Met Office drifting buoy (Argos 21512) with atmospheric pressure and temperature sensors deployed. |
| Routine standard measurements | 57° 27' 41" N 35° 0' 0" W — UK Met Office drifting buoy (Argos 21570) with atmospheric pressure and temperature sensors deployed. |
| Data held at BODC | Get data |
| Discrete samples | |
| 1 1 metre diameter zooplankton ring net | |
| 70 CTD frame plus rosette sampler | Dissolved total and organic nitrogen concentrations in the water column Transmittance and attenuance of the water column Carotenoid and flavenoid pigment concentrations in water bodies Biological detritus in the water column suspended particulate material Temperature of the water column Zooplankton taxonomy-related abundance per unit volume of the water column Zooplankton chemical composition Dissolved oxygen parameters in the water column Zooplankton growth rates Microzooplankton taxonomy-related biomass expressed as carbon per unit volume of the water column Phytoplankton taxonomic abundance in water bodies Phosphate concentration parameters in the water column Salinity of the water column Phytoplankton taxonomic biomass in water bodies Phytoplankton generic biomass in water bodies Concentration of suspended particulate material in the water column Zooplankton reproduction rate parameters Silicate concentration parameters in the water column Zooplankton non taxonomy-related abundance per unit volume of the water column Density of the water column Microzooplankton taxonomic abundance in water bodies Phytoplankton generic abundance in water bodies Metadata parameters Nitrate concentration parameters in the water column Chlorophyll pigment concentrations in water bodies Experiment state variables Zooplankton egg hatch proportion Primary production in the water column |
| 71 Continuous Plankton Recorder tow segment | |
| 22 Dual Methot net | Zooplankton taxonomy-related abundance per unit volume of the water column Zooplankton and zoobenthos development stage parameters Concentration of other substances in biota Zooplankton and zoobenthos morphological parameters Stable isotopes in biota Metadata parameters |
| 21 Fast Repetition Rate Fluorometer Dark Chamber | Variable fluorescence parameters |
| 21 Fast Repetition Rate Fluorometer Light Chamber | Variable fluorescence parameters |
| 6 Lowered EK-500 acoustic profiler | |
| 26 MarLab Aberdeen ARIES net and environmental sampling system | Stomach and gut contents Reference numbers Horizontal spatial co-ordinates Transmittance and attenuance of the water column Date and time Temperature of the water column Zooplankton taxonomy-related abundance per unit volume of the water column Zooplankton chemical composition Zooplankton and zoobenthos development stage parameters Zooplankton growth rates Phosphate concentration parameters in the water column Salinity of the water column Zooplankton and zoobenthos morphological parameters Silicate concentration parameters in the water column Density of the water column Metadata parameters Fish abundance in water bodies Nitrate concentration parameters in the water column Chlorophyll pigment concentrations in water bodies |
| 22 Marine Lab Aberdeen Ocean Sampler net | Zooplankton taxonomy-related abundance per unit volume of the water column Zooplankton and zoobenthos development stage parameters Zooplankton non taxonomy-related abundance per unit volume of the water column Metadata parameters Fish abundance in water bodies Chlorophyll pigment concentrations in water bodies |
| 428 Sample taken from ship's non-toxic supply | Zooplankton chemical composition Phosphate concentration parameters in the water column Salinity of the water column Zooplankton reproduction rate parameters Silicate concentration parameters in the water column Metadata parameters Nitrate concentration parameters in the water column Chlorophyll pigment concentrations in water bodies Experiment state variables |
| 3 Twin WP-2 net mounted on a frame | Zooplankton taxonomy-related abundance per unit volume of the water column Zooplankton and zoobenthos morphological parameters Zooplankton feeding Zooplankton reproduction rate parameters Metadata parameters |
| 26 Unspecified zooplankton net or nets | Zooplankton taxonomy-related abundance per unit volume of the water column Zooplankton chemical composition Zooplankton growth rates Zooplankton and zoobenthos morphological parameters Zooplankton feeding Zooplankton reproduction rate parameters Zooplankton non taxonomy-related biomass expressed as protein per unit volume of the water column Metadata parameters |
| 7 WP-2 zooplankton net | Zooplankton chemical composition Zooplankton growth rates Zooplankton non taxonomy-related biomass expressed as protein per unit volume of the water column |