NOC Liverpool report for the miniSTABLE benthic lander deployments as part of the UK-SSB research programme

A review of the key features of a series of seabed based scientific lander deployments undertaken by the National Oceanography Centre at Liverpool, UK as part of the UK Shelf Seas Biogeochemistry (UK-SBS) Programme (www.uk-ssb.org) is provided in this document. A bespoke lander design provided a unique platform for a broad range of scientific measurements to facilitate novel benthic or near seabed scientific research. A complex and diverse set of lander based instrumentation included dissolved oxygen flux or ‘eddy correlation’ sensors, sonar based localised seabed distance and contour profiling, high resolution water velocity measurements and measurements of suspended particulate matter in the lower water column. The sensor suite was complimented by an automated, water sampler for collecting and preserving samples with a programmable sample volume and collection time. These seawater samples were suitable for determining dissolved inorganic nutrient levels close to the seabed. Inline filters were used to assess the levels of particulate concentrations at the time of each sample collection. A series of scientific survey cruises, using the research vessel RRS Discovery, occurred from March 2014 to September 2015 as part of the UK-SSB programme. Within this sequence of scientific cruises four key Celtic Sea based sites were surveyed. The lander deployment sites used provided a diverse range of seabed based scientific study conditions.