Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea and Pakistan margin

Horizontal spatial co-ordinates; Ammonium and ammonia concentration parameters in water bodies; Sediment lipid concentrations; Air temperature; Atmospheric humidity; Variable fluorescence parameters; Particulate total and organic carbon concentrations in the water column; Chlorophyll pigment concentrations in water bodies; Dissolved oxygen parameters in the water column; Wind strength and direction; Fish abundance in water bodies; Fish taxonomy-related abundance per unit area of the bed; Amino acids in sediment; Zoobenthos non taxonomy-related wet weight biomass per unit area of the bed; Particulate total and organic nitrogen concentrations in the water column; Nutrient concentrations in sediment pore waters; Optical backscatter; Salinity of the water column; Stable isotopes in sediment; Zoobenthos taxonomic abundance; Concentration of inorganic sulphur species in sediment; Concentration of suspended particulate material in the water column; Concentration of inorganic sulphur species in sediment pore water; Visible waveband radiance and irradiance measurements in the atmosphere; Sediment water content, porosity and surface area; Transmittance and attenuance of the water column; Nitrogen concentrations in sediment; Dissolved organic carbon concentrations in sediment pore waters; Stable isotopes in sediment pore waters; Bathymetry and Elevation; Temperature of the water column

Anemometers; meteorological packages; fluorometers; radiometers; optical backscatter sensors; thermosalinographs; single-beam echosounders; pelagic trawl nets; benthos samplers; transmissometers; CTD; dissolved gas sensors

The dataset comprises physical, biogeochemical and biological oceanographic, surface meteorological and benthic measurements. Hydrographic profiles including temperature, salinity, fluorescence, transmissance and suspended sediment concentration were collected at numerous stations, while surface hydrographic (fluorescence, transmissance, sea surface temperature, salinity) and meteorological (irradiance, air temperature, humidity, wind speed/direction) data were collected across the survey areas. Sediment, pore water and water column samples were also collected for biogeochemical analysis, as were biological samples for the purposes of species classification and abundance analyses. The data were collected across the Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea and Pakistan margin areas between March and October 2003. Data collection was undertaken by the RRS Charles Darwin during four cruises: CD145 (12 March 2003 to 9 April 2003), CD146 (12 April 2003 to 30 May 2003), CD150 (22 August 2003 to 15 September 2003) and CD151 (17 September 2003 to 20 October 2003). Conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) profilers with auxiliary sensors, benthic samplers and nets were deployed from the ship, while underway sensors provided continuous surface ocean, meteorological and bathymetric data. The study was designed to investigate an oxygen-minimum zone (OMZ) in the northern Arabian Sea. Chief Investigators include Gregory L Cowie (University of Edinburgh School of GeoSciences) and Brian J Bett (Southampton Oceanography Centre), while other institutions including the Dunstaffnage Marine Laboratory, University of Liverpool and Netherlands Institute of Ecology were also involved in the research. Data management is being undertaken by BODC. Some of the data are still undergoing processing at BODC and further data are expected from originators in the future.

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