RRS "Discovery" Cruise D297, 27 Jul - 16 Aug 2005. The geobiology of the Nazare and Setubal Canyons, Portuguese Continental Margin

The main objective of this cruise was to complete the geological survey of the Setubal and Nazare canyons including more sidescan sonar survey in the canyon mouths and on the lower continental rise north of the mouth of Setubal mouth. Other major objectives were to carry out sampling of the seabed for meio and macro fauna at 3 depth transects in each canyon; to run a series of SHRIMP video runs in the canyons at different depths to quantify the seabed organisms; to measure the amount and type of particulate matter in the water column, particularly near the seabed at the study sites, and to investigate the benthic ichthyofauna and bioluminescence using bottom landers. This cruise provided data for the EU FP6 project HERMES (Hotspot Ecosystem Research on the Margins of European Seas), as well completing work for the EU FP5 project EUROSTRATAFORM.