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.

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.

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.

The research programme of Belgica campaign 2014/14 aimed at assessing the different biogeochemical processes controlling the carbon and nitrogen cycles in oligotrophic N.E. Atlantic waters. These cycles are essential components of the ‘biological Carbon Pump' by which part of atmospheric carbon dioxide is transferred to the ocean's interior. Our approach is based on the use of dual nitrate isotope measurements (natural abundance and enrichment experiments) to disentangle these various nitrogen processes in the marine environment, and in particular the process of diazotrophy by which atmospheric N2 is introduced into the oceanic fixed nitrogen reservoir. This input of ‘new' nitrogen should stand in balance with the denitrification process by which nitrogen is lost from the oceanic system. There are indications that the intensity as well as the geographical distribution of diazotrophic activity has been underestimated till date, in general. It is of particular interest to better document diazotrophic activity at latitudes of 38°N and northward, areas for which only few data are available. During the cruise we studied the different biogeochemical processes acting on the marine N-cycle, including N2 fixation, nitrate (NO3-), ammonium (NH4+) and nitrite (NO2-) uptake, nitrification, along a north-south section through the Gulf of Biscaye to Cape Finisterre and further south in open ocean waters along the Iberian peninsula till about 38°30'N. In addition, the effect of iron limitation on the nitrogen fixation and the nitrification processes was investigated.