RRS Discovery D203B
Cruise summary report
| Cruise Info. | |
| Ship name (ship code) | RRS Discovery (74E3) |
| Cruise identifier | D203B |
| Cruise period | 1993-07-17 — 1993-08-02 |
| Status | Completed |
| Port of departure | Nice, France |
| Port of return | Nice, France |
| Purpose | Research |
| Objectives | 1) To investigate the biochemical cycling of the bio-essential elements of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus along the radial gradients from the Eutrophic plume of the River Rhone, to the Oligographic gyre of the Belearic Basin
2) The chemical oceanography of biogases including oxygen, hydrogen peroxide , methylamines and dimethylsulphide were obtained using chemiluminescence, fluorescence, and ion chromatographic techniques 3) In situ primary production experiments were conducted with N-15, C-14 isotopes, together with precision O2 measurements in order to measure the balance between new production and regenerated production. 4) An in situ incubation/inoculation rig was deployed on 3 occasions in an intercalibration of production measurements 5) The inventories, river fluxes, and molecular weight distribution of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) were determined |
| Chief scientist | R Fauzi C Mantoura (Plymouth Marine Laboratory) |
| Project | EROS 2000 MAST |
| Coordinating body | DG XII, European Community, Environment Programme |
| Cruise report |  (11.93 MB) |
| Ocean/sea areas | |
| General | Mediterranean Sea - Western basin |
| Specific | West and north west Mediterranean Sea, Gibraltar Straits, Sicily Straits, Gulf du Lions |
| Track charts | (0.07 MB) |
| Measurements | |
| Physical oceanography | |
| CTD stations | Quantity: number of profiles = 86 Description: CTD frame with fluorometer, transmissometer and light meters |
| Transparency (eg transmissometer) | Quantity: number of profiles = 86 Description: CTD frame with fluorometer, transmissometer and light meters |
| Optics (eg underwater light levels) | Quantity: number of profiles = 86 Description: CTD frame with fluorometer, transmissometer and light meters |
| Other physical oceanographic measurements | Quantity: number of measurements = 16 Description: U.O.R tows, 11 profiles on CTD frame and 8 in Rhone estuary |
| Chemical oceanography | |
| Oxygen | Quantity: number of profiles = 86 Description: CTD frame with fluorometer, transmissometer and light meters |
| Phosphate | Quantity: number of samples = 584 Description: nutrient measurements |
| Phosphate | Quantity: number of stations = 25 Description: investigate distribution |
| Nitrate | Quantity: number of samples = 584 Description: nutrient measurements |
| Nitrate | Quantity: number of stations = 25 Description: investigate distribution |
| Nitrite | Quantity: number of stations = 25 Description: investigate distribution |
| Ammonia | Description: analysis of ammonia and methylamines |
| Ammonia | Quantity: number of stations = 25 Description: investigate distribution |
| Silicate | Quantity: number of samples = 584 Description: nutrient measurements |
| Silicate | Quantity: number of stations = 25 Description: investigate distribution |
| Radioactivity | Quantity: number of profiles = 2 Description: 8 depths profile for particulate and dissolved radionuclides |
| Other chemical oceanographic measurements | Quantity: number of stations = 2 Description: vertical flux of biogenic particles |
| Other chemical oceanographic measurements | Quantity: number of profiles = 4 Description: particulate silica |
| Other chemical oceanographic measurements | Description: H2O2 analysis of samples from CTD casts |
| Contamination | |
| Other contaminant measurements | Description: organic pollutants and biomakers |
| Biology and fisheries | |
| Primary productivity | Quantity: number of profiles = 4 Description: carbon |
| Primary productivity | Quantity: number of stations = 7 Description: measurement of primary production by 14C |
| Primary productivity | Quantity: number of stations = 7 |
| Phytoplankton pigs (eg chlorophyll, fluorescence) | Quantity: number of profiles = 4 Description: total chlorophyll |
| Phytoplankton pigs (eg chlorophyll, fluorescence) | Quantity: number of profiles = 86 Description: CTD frame with fluorometer, transmissometer and light meters |
| Phytoplankton pigs (eg chlorophyll, fluorescence) | Quantity: number of stations = 50 Description: biochemistry |
| Particulate organic matter (inc POC, PON) | Description: particulate organic nitrogen and phosphorus |
| Dissolved organic matter (inc DOC) | Quantity: number of stations = 48 Description: samples taken for dissolved organic carbon |
| Biochemical measurements (eg lipids, amino acids) | Description: water column particulate biochemistry |
| Biochemical measurements (eg lipids, amino acids) | Quantity: number of stations = 34 Description: amino acids |
| Phytoplankton | Description: distribution of photosynthetic picoplanktonic cells |
| Other biological/fisheries measurement | Quantity: number of experiments = 15 Description: measure the rates of nitrogen assimilation by phytoplankton in a range of environments |
| Data held at BODC | |
| Discrete samples | |
| 86 CTD frame plus rosette sampler | Transmittance and attenuance of the water column Dissolved oxygen parameters in the water column Salinity of the water column Temperature of the water column Visible waveband radiance and irradiance measurements in the water column Raw light meter output Density of the water column Raw fluorometer output Chlorophyll pigment concentrations in water bodies |
