Monthly survey to study thermohaline and biological characterization of water masses in the East-North Atlantic.
Monthly survey to study thermohaline and biological characterization of water masses in the East-North Atlantic.
Investigations at the dumpsite for low-level radioactive waste at the Iberian Deep Sea Plain
Beautemps-Beaupré cruise.
Assessment of chemical contamination in coastal water masses (Spain, France, Italy), using artificial stations of mussels and passive sensors. The MYTILOS 1 cruise aimed to use the RINBIO network methodology around the western Mediterranean. Experiments done in the French Mediterranean since 1996 by IFREMER will be extended to Spanish and Italian Mediterranean coasts on the basis of a standardized protocol. The data will supplement those obtained in 2004 during the RINBIOC1 cruise by including the islands of the western basin, the south of Spain and Italy. In addition, the results will be used to complement the chemical contamination budget made in the framework of the European Water Framework Directive's implementation. The survey was based on 3 major actions: 1) Artificial mussel bed stations were placed and recovered along a shoreline between Malaga (Spain) and Rome (Italy), including the Balearic Islands, Sardinia and Sicily. 2) Gellyfish-type "passive" sensor stations were deployed along with some of the artificial mussel bed stations. 3) A study was run on the site of Livorno, taking bio-integrators, Posidonia and sediment samples to assess chemical contamination levels on 3 different matrices in the framework of the MONIQUA programme. This falls under the MEDICIS project.
The goal of this cruise was to recover and redeploy some RAPID-MOC moorings near the Eastern Boundary as part of our six-month turnaround programme. Specific cruise objectives were to: 1. Recover moorings EB1 (24 microcats) and EB2 (MMP profiling from 50m to 2500m with microcats and current meters below), two principal tall eastern boundary moorings, sited on a Topex crossover point near 24N, 24W. 2. Redeploy EB1 (24 inductive microcats plus the telemetry system) and EB2 (MMP mooring). 3. Deploy EBADCP to replace the instrument deployed in April but trawled after 10days and recovered by the R/V Poseidon. 4. Deploy two URI Pressure Inverted Echo Sounders. One deployed in 1000m and one in 5000m next to the BPR lander at mooring EB1. 5. CTD stations for pre and post deployment calibrations of all mooring instrumentation. 6. Search for and if possible recover MMP mooring EB2 deployed in April 2004 and located 100km north south of Gomorra in October 2004.
The objective of the cruise was to improve our understanding of biochemical processes in the near-surface and microlayer of the ocean. We examine gradients in major nutrient concentrations and cycling, production and consumption of key biogases and variability in biological communities between micro-layer, near -surface and deeper water, and between productive and oligotrophic waters along a transect from offshore oligotrophic to coastal upwelling waters off western Spain and Portugal. We also aimed to examine the influence of gradients in physical, biological and photochemical processes at or near the surface micro-layer on the transport of heat and bio-gases across the air-sea interface. Using near-real time satellite imagery of ocean colour in combination with continuous underway measurements of sea surface temperature and chlorophyll fluorescence we identified a suitable oligotrophic site ~25nm off the coast just north of the spain/Portugal border, and reached it on 21 st June and commenced scientific work. We then worked our way inshore via 4 more stations to an upwelling site where science work was concluded on 6th July. The vessel then returned to Falmouth, arriving on 9th July.
The SCANS-II project aims at estimating the abundance of small cetaceans inhabiting shelf waters of the Atlantic margin, the North Sea and adjacent waters. Different methods will be used; ship-based monitoring is one of these. Data on abundance are essential to assess the impact of bycatch and other threats, and as input to management actions to ensure the favourable conservation status of these species. The project will develop a management framework to use such data. This will be centred on relatively simple but spatially explicit dynamic models tested by simulation to ensure robustness. An essential part of this long-term management is a robust cost-effective means of monitoring abundance between major SCANS-type surveys; the project will develop and test potential methods, and recommend a suite of monitoring protocols.The "BEL-COLOUR" aims at improving the theoretical basis and software tools for applications of suspended matter and chlorophyll-based satellite data products in coastal waters. In addition to algorithm work and image processing BEL-COLOUR will participate in sea borne cruises for the purposes of calibration of algorithms and for validation of the end products. The project "BEL-COLOUR", funded by the <a href="http://www.belspo.be">Federal Science Policy</a>, within the programme for Earth Observation "STEREO" - Study and management of Coastal Regions.
Assessment of chemical contamination in coastal water masses (Spain, France, Italy), using artificial stations of mussels and passive sensors. The MYTILOS 1 cruise aimed to use the RINBIO network methodology around the western Mediterranean. Experiments done in the French Mediterranean since 1996 by IFREMER will be extended to Spanish and Italian Mediterranean coasts on the basis of a standardized protocol. The data will supplement those obtained in 2004 during the RINBIOC1 cruise by including the islands of the western basin, the south of Spain and Italy. In addition, the results will be used to complement the chemical contamination budget made in the framework of the European Water Framework Directive's implementation. The survey was based on 2 major actions: 1) Retrieving artificial mussel bed stations immersed in March with R/V l'Europe along a shoreline between Malaga (Spain) and Rome (Italy), including the Balearic Islands, Sardinia and Sicily. 2) Gellyfish-type "passive" sensor stations were deployed along with some of the artificial mussel bed stations. This falls under the MYTILOS project.
Abundance indices, distribution patterns and faunal assemblages of demersal species in the Porcupine bank, together with the possible driving factors of their distribution. This survey belongs to the research project: ?Evaluacion de Recursos Demersales por Metodos Directos en el Area ICES?. This Project is partly funded by the DCR of the EU and the Education and Science Spanish Ministery.The main objectives of the above mentioned project related with this survey time series are: a) to obtain abundance indices of the main exploited species in the Porcupine bank; b) to estimate the strength of yearly recruitments of these species and their distribution in the bank. c) to study the structure and distribution o the demersal and benthic communities in the area.