RRS Discovery D251T
Cruise summary report
| Cruise Info. | |
| Ship name (ship code) | RRS Discovery (74E3) |
| Cruise identifier | D251T |
| Cruise period | 2001-03-31 — 2001-04-09 |
| Status | Completed |
| Port of departure | Newport, United Kingdom |
| Port of return | Southampton, United Kingdom |
| Purpose | Trials |
| Objectives | Following a refit of Discovery, the cruise was intended as a shakedown of ship-fitted instrumentation and systems, for the testing of instrumentation recently included within the National Marine Equipment Pool and training of UKORS technicians. Two science activities were also included: the utilisation of an Autonomous Nutrient Analyser; and the deployment of a sediment trap mooring on the Porcupine Abyssal Plain. Despite weather downtime, most activities were achieved and the two science activities were successful. |
| Chief scientist | Edward B Cooper (United Kingdom Ocean Research Services) |
| Cruise report |  (0.36 MB) |
| Ocean/sea areas | |
| General | North East Atlantic Ocean (limit 40W) |
| Specific | Western Approaches and Porcupine Abyssal Plain |
| Track charts | (0.09 MB) |
| Measurements | |
| Physical oceanography | |
| Surface measurements underway (T,S) | Quantity: activity duration in days = 8 Description: underway measurements T, S, fluorescence & transmissometer |
| CTD stations | Quantity: number of profiles = 9 Description: with oxygen, aquatracker fluorometer and transmissometer. Various depths from 100 - 4522 m |
| Current profiler (eg ADCP) | Quantity: activity duration in days = 8 Description: vessel mount ADCP using 75 k Hz phased array and 150 k Hz RDI |
| Chemical oceanography | |
| Oxygen | Quantity: number of profiles = 9 Description: with oxygen, aquatracker fluorometer and transmissometer. Various depths from 100 - 4522 m |
| Nitrate | Quantity: number of samples = 34 Description: from the non-toxic supply for subsequent laboratory analysis |
| Nitrate | Quantity: number of measurements = 850 Description: of nitrate from 5 days of data recorded by a WS Autonomous Nutrient Analyser |
| Meteorology | |
| Routine standard measurements | Quantity: activity duration in days = 8 Description: meteorological measurements (atmospheric pressure, PAR, wet and dry bulb temperature, wind speed and direction). |
| Geology and geophysics | |
| Single-beam echosounding | Quantity: activity duration in days = 8 Description: using two Precission Echo Sounders (PES) |
| Moorings, landers, buoys | |
| Physical oceanography | |
| Current meters | 48° 59' 38" N 16° 27' 28" W — Porcupine Abyssal Plain mooring. A precursor to the EU funded Animate programme (www.soc.soton.ac.uk/animate). 3 RCM 8 Current meters, 3 McLane sediment traps |
| Biology and fisheries | |
| Sediment traps | 48° 59' 38" N 16° 27' 28" W — Porcupine Abyssal Plain mooring. A precursor to the EU funded Animate programme (www.soc.soton.ac.uk/animate). 3 RCM 8 Current meters, 3 McLane sediment traps |
