RRS Charles Darwin Cruise 101C Leg 2, 14 Jul-20 Aug 1996. Atlantic Margin Environmental Survey: seabed survey of the shelf edge and slope west of Shetland

This was the second of two cruises, the overall objective of which was to undertake an integrated baseline environmental survey of the continental slope west of Shetland. The primary objective of this cruise was to carry out a large-scale seabed sampling survey of the area to the west of Shetland. In total some 200 seabed stations were sampled using either a Megacorer, Box corer or Day grab, and samples collected for the subsequent analysis of macrobenthos, hydrocarbons, heavy metals, particle size and total organic carbon and nitrogen. Additional survey operations included photographic reconnaissance of the seafloor using the SOC WASP system and the collection of demersal fish using pop up fish traps. Shipboard observation of seabed samples suggests that the survey region is very heterogeneous in terms of both sediments (as observed by TOBI sidescan sonar during the preceding cruise) and benthos. Particular features of note include highly developed epifaunal communities on the numerous ice rafted rocks in the 300 - 600m depth range and an abundant population of, apparently, sediment surface dwelling enteropneusts on a sandy contourite sheet located in the mid to north reaches of the survey at depths of 800 - 1000m.