RRS "Discovery" Cruise 229, 02 Jul - 31 Jul 1997. BENGAL: High resolution and spatial study of the BENthic biology and Geochemistry of a north-eastern Atlantic abyssal Locality

RRS Discovery Cruise 229 was the fourth in a series of cruises within a 3-year contract (MAS3 CT950018), BENGAL, funded under the MAST III programme of the EU, running from February 1996 to January 1999. The overall objective of the contract is to monitor the influence of the seasonal sedimentation of phytodetritus on the benthic biology and chemistry of a study site on the Porcupine Abyssal Plain. Cruise 229 was timed to follow the expected deposition of phytodetritus on the seafloor in May/June. Although little phytodetritus was apparent, the cruise recovered a very comprehensive set of water column and seafloor samples. Successful operations included: multiple corer, box corer and Kasten core seabed sampling; CTD, rosette multi-sampler, marine snow profiler, stand-alone-pumping system and bottom water sampler studies of the water column; WASP seabed photography; semi-balloon otter trawl, chalut á perche (beam trawl) and epibenthic sledge megabenthos sampling; recovery and redeployment of long-term sediment trap, Bathysnap and Module Autonome de Colonisation moorings; and short-term operations of other landers and moorings, NIOZ benthic lander, BIOFEED enrichment experiment rig, DEMAR benthic amphipod trap and a moored stand-alone-pumping system.