SHOM oceanographic cruise

SHOM oceanographic cruise

Timing and frequency of landslide and gravity flow geohazards along the eastern North Atlantic continental margin This research cruise was a contribution towards the NERC strategic science programme (Oceans 2025). The main scientific objective was to improve our understanding of landslide and gravity flow geohazards along the eastern North Atlantic margin, in particular by studying event timing and frequency in the recent geological record. Special attention was being paid to geohazards that may potentially impact UK communities and infrastructure. Shallow piston coring of turbidite successions in deep basins produces the best record of recent (<50 kyrs) gravity flow events on adjacent margins (e.g. Weaver et al., 2000), but the availability of pre-existing data from the study area was patchy. Consequently, a key aim of JC027 was to 'fill the gaps' and recover cores from basins, or sections of basins, where data are urgently required. A total of 60 piston and megacores was successfully recovered during the cruise, from a series of lower canyon and basin floor environments. Shallow geophysical data, including subbottom profiles and hull-mounted multibeam bathymetry, were collected quasi-continuously during the cruise to define local environment around core sites. In complex areas, such as seafloor scours, Autosub6000 was deployed to collect high-resolution EM2000 multibeam bathymetry.

This equipment trials cruise has provided opportunities for test and verification of technology under development at the Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory (POL), the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS) and the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton (NOC,S). This includes equipment developed during the first year of funding under OCEANS 2025 (theme 8). Testing technology in the ocean environment is invaluable in assessing fitness for purpose. Specifically, the cruise tested: A Spar wave buoy (NOC,S) biogeochemical sensors (NOC,S); an UAV system (NOC,S); a video grab system "HyBis" (NOC,S), A benthic Multicore (NOC,S), A benthic lander and associated torroidal Telemetry buoy (POL), and a shallow tow towfish (POL). Testing in Spanish waters (near Tenerife, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura) has been invaluable. The time on passage has been minimised (the transition from deep to shallow water is less than a days steaming) and the calm conditions to the southwest of the islands in the consistent prevailing north easterly winds have enabled deployment and recovery techniques to be tried and optimised in safety.

The area in between the Audierne and St. Nazaire canyons (Gascogne) along the Armorican margin was one of the areas where the "massifs coralliens" were described for the very first time. Within the framework of the HERMES (EC FP6), MiCROSYSTEMS (ESF) and GeNeSis (FWO) projects, this area will be surveyed using multibeam and high resolution seismics during LEG 1. Based on this site survey, the ROV Genesis will be deployed to carry out detailed mapping of these deep-water "hot-spots". Also the hydrography and sediment dynamics of this area will be studied with respect to the steering of the present ecosystems. LEG 2 will focus on the Galicia bank. This location has been assigned as reference area within the ESF project BIOFUN. In addition to a bathymetric and seismic surveying, also biological sampling and experiments are planned here.The BELCOLOUR-2 project aims at improving the quality of existing optical remote sensing products for marine, coastal and inland waters based on new scientific knowledge and to develop new products (including partial pressure of CO2 and primary production) for key applications such as aquaculture and air-sea CO2 flux quantification. This project takes place in the frame of the research program for earth observation 'STEREO' of the Federal Science Policy.

Weekly cruise to monitorize physical and chemical variables in Rias Baixas (Galicia)

Weekly cruise to monitorize physical and chemical variables in Rias Baixas (Galicia)

Weekly cruise to monitorize physical and chemical variables in Rías Altas (Galicia)