RRS Discovery Cruise 116, 10 November - 27 November 2020, Time-series studies at the Porcupine Abyssal Plain Sustained Observatory

Gates, Andrew R. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2798-5044. 2020 RRS Discovery Cruise 116, 10 November - 27 November 2020, Time-series studies at the Porcupine Abyssal Plain Sustained Observatory. Southampton, National Oceanography Centre, 115pp. (National Oceanography Centre Cruise Report, 73)

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Abstract/Summary

RRS Discovery cruise 116 departed Southampton 10th November 2020, operated in the Whittard Canyon (12-13th November) and the Porcupine Abyssal Plain Sustained Observatory area (19-23 November), returning to Southampton 26th November 2020. The goal of the cruise was to continue time-series observations of the surface ocean, water column, and seafloor at the site, as first studied by NOC (then the Institute of Oceanographic Sciences) in 1985. An additional goal was to service a mooring at Whittard Canyon. Operations were limited in scope because of the Covid-19 pandemic which affected all aspects of life in 2020. DY116 was delayed from June/July until November 2020 and proceeded with reduced personnel and limited scope. The specific aims were to recover data and infrastructure and deploy replacement moorings. The regular sampling programme at PAP-SO did not take place because of the need for social distancing. Shortly before departing the PAP1 surface buoy had become detached from the mooring and was recovered by the FS Maria S. Merian. The PAP1 mooring was successfully deployed including replacement of the full ocean depth mooring. The surface buoy was upgraded to a Met Office Mobilis buoy. The 30 m sensor frame was not included in the first deployment but will return on in 2021. The PAP3 mooring, a sediment trap and current meter string, was successfully recovered and redeployed. Colonisation substrates and larval traps for the on-going LO3CAted (Larval Occurrences in Open Ocean: Connectivity studies in NE Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea) project were recovered from PAP3. The Bathysnap seafloor time-lapse camera, and associated LO3CAted samplers, was recovered but unfortunately it had flooded. A series of water column observation and sampling operations were successfully carried out with a CTD instrument package. The CTD deployments included pre-and post-deployment calibrations of PAP1 and PAP3 sensors. Underway data were collected and a Met Office Biogeochemistry Argo float was deployed. At Whittard Canyon the mooring was successfully recovered and replaced. This cruise was a contribution to the Climate Linked Atlantic Section Science (CLASS) project supported by the UK Natural Environment Research Council (grant number NE/R015953/1).

Item Type:	Publication - Report
Funders/Sponsors:	National Oceanography Centre
Additional Keywords:	Porcupine Abyssal Plain, Whittard Canyon, Ocean Observation, ICOS, EMSO, Argo, Biogeochemistry, CTD, time series, Covid-19, FS Maria S. Merian
Date made live:	06 Sep 2021 11:43 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/531008

Item Type:

Publication - Report

Funders/Sponsors:

National Oceanography Centre

Additional Keywords:

Porcupine Abyssal Plain, Whittard Canyon, Ocean Observation, ICOS, EMSO, Argo, Biogeochemistry, CTD, time series, Covid-19, FS Maria S. Merian

Date made live:

06 Sep 2021 11:43 +0 (UTC)

URI:

https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/531008