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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. |