RSS Discovery Cruise 332, 21 Aug – 25 Sep 2008. Arctic Gateway (WOCE AR7)

This report describes scientific activities on RRS Discovery cruise 332, “Arctic Gateway”, in
the vicinity of WOCE hydrographic section AR7 between Canada, Greenland and Scotland
during late summer 2008. Hydrographic work comprised 74 CTD/LADCP stations and one
tow of the Moving Vessel Profiler. Water samples were captured for on-board measurement of
salinity, dissolved oxygen, inorganic nutrients, calcite, particulate organic carbon and
chlorophyll. Samples were also captured for storage for later on-shore analysis of oxygen
isotope fraction, chlorofluorocarbons, sulphur hexafluoride and alkalinity / total carbon
dioxide. Continuous underway measurements comprised: navigation; currents, using vesselmounted
ADCPs (75 and 150 kHz); meteorology; sea surface temperature and salinity; and
bathymetry. Mooring operations comprised the recovery of two current meter moorings off
Cape Farewell; two other moorings were deemed lost; an instrument from a fifth mooring, not
recovered at the time, was later found intact in west Scotland. Additionally, a party from the
Royal NIOZ were engaged in a programme of recovery and redeployment of Dutch moorings.
UK funding for D332 was provided by the Natural Environment Research Council under its
Oceans2025 programme.
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