RRS Challenger CH144
Cruise summary report
| Cruise Info. | |
| Ship name (ship code) | RRS Challenger (74CH) |
| Cruise identifier | CH144 |
| Cruise period | 1999-06-27 — 1999-07-26 |
| Status | Completed |
| Port of departure | Southampton, United Kingdom |
| Port of return | Southampton, United Kingdom |
| Purpose | Research |
| Objectives | The cruise was organised in support of the EU SEAMAR (Shelf-Edge Advection, Mortality and Recruitment) contract to develop a bio-physical transport model for the planktonic stages of mackerel. The main cruise objectives were:
a) to describe regional variations in growth and survival potential of mackerel larvae and post-larvae in relation to hydrobiological conditions; b) to provide sea-truth calibration data for SeaWiFS remote sensing. |
| Chief scientist | Stephen H Coombs (Plymouth Marine Laboratory) |
| Project | EU SEAMAR (Shelf-Edge Advection, Mortality and Recruitment) |
| Cruise report |  (0.31 MB) |
| Ocean/sea areas | |
| General | English Channel Celtic Sea Bay of Biscay North East Atlantic Ocean (limit 40W) |
| Specific | off NW Spain, Bilbao, La Rochelle, Ushant, Cockburn Bank, Mizzen Head, W edge of Porcupine Bank, N. Porcupine, Donegal Bay, Porcupine Seabight, Goban Spur, Great Sole Bank, W English Channel |
| Measurements | |
| Physical oceanography | |
| Surface measurements underway (T,S) | Description: continuous surface recordings of temperature and salinity obtained from some sections along the ship's track. |
| Water bottle stations | Quantity: number of stations = 17 Description: primary production experiments carried out by on-board incubation from pre-dawn water bottle sampling. Filtered samples preserved for nutrient analysis. |
| Subsurface temperature and salinity measurements | Description: vertical profiles of temperature and salinity collected to 100m depth at all stations. |
| Optics (eg underwater light levels) | Description: Observations of light taken at midday. |
| Current profiler (eg ADCP) | Description: Current profiles to a maximum of 320m obtained throughout the cruise using a 300kHz ADCP. |
| Chemical oceanography | |
| Phosphate | Quantity: number of stations = 17 Description: primary production experiments carried out by on-board incubation from pre-dawn water bottle sampling. Filtered samples preserved for nutrient analysis. |
| Nitrate | Quantity: number of stations = 17 Description: primary production experiments carried out by on-board incubation from pre-dawn water bottle sampling. Filtered samples preserved for nutrient analysis. |
| Nitrite | Quantity: number of stations = 17 Description: primary production experiments carried out by on-board incubation from pre-dawn water bottle sampling. Filtered samples preserved for nutrient analysis. |
| Silicate | Quantity: number of stations = 17 Description: primary production experiments carried out by on-board incubation from pre-dawn water bottle sampling. Filtered samples preserved for nutrient analysis. |
| Biology and fisheries | |
| Primary productivity | Quantity: number of stations = 17 Description: primary production experiments carried out by on-board incubation from pre-dawn water bottle sampling. Filtered samples preserved for nutrient analysis. |
| Phytoplankton pigs (eg chlorophyll, fluorescence) | Description: continuous chlorophyll 'a' measurements from some sections of the ship's track. |
| Zooplankton | Quantity: number of hauls = 271 Description: 100m depth using a 60cm coarse mesh Bongo net and Plankton Sampling Mechanism attached to a U-tow. |
| Neuston | Quantity: number of hauls = 167 Description: Mackerel larvae survey. 111 MIK net and 56 neuston net tows. |
| Eggs and larvae | Quantity: number of hauls = 167 Description: Mackerel larvae survey. 111 MIK net and 56 neuston net tows. |
