The aim of this cruise was to collect surficial sediments from different areas of the Mediterranean Spanish coast for studying the spatial and temporal trends of persistent organic pollutants (organochlorinted pollutants, trace metals and aromatic hydrocarbons) and metal contamination in this environmental matrix. This cruise was included in the activities of the project 2-ESMARME from the IEO (Spanish Oceanographic Institute). This project gives fulfillment to the Annex II of the mission of management of the Ministry of Environment and Rural and Marine Affairs to the IEO on scientific and technical assistance related to the monitoring of the marine contamination and biological effects in the Mediterranean coast of Spain, within the framework of the Barcelona Convention for the protection of the marine environment and the coastal Region of the Mediterranean Sea.

The objective of this campaign is the sampling of sediments. These sediments will be used to assess the organic and inorganic pollutants in the marine area, as well as the possible biological effects of contaminants. In this survey, along with the traditional pollutants, the presence of microplastics in sediments will also be evaluated.

Analyze and evaluate the environmental impact on the coastal area of Gibraltar caused by the dumping of concrete and rock blocks into the sea.

Training of students of the Master of Marine Sciences: Oceanography and Marine Environment Management of the University of Barcelona.

The objective of the DOS MARES project is twofold. First, we aim at understanding the effects of the atmospheric teleconnections between the Cantabrian Sea and the north-western Mediterranean Sea, and their impacts on the deep ecosystem, both pelagic and benthic. Second, we want to know in which way the transfer of the signal from the external forcings towards the deep ecosystem controls the community structure and the population dynamics. Thus, in March 2012 we deployed 6 mooring lines equipped with sediment traps and currentmeters in the Avilés and Gaviera canyons and the slope. In September 2012 the moorings were successfully recovered and redeployed again, and during this cruise DOSMARES BIOCANT3 they have been finally recovered and the 1-year monitoring effort finalised. In addition, CTD profiling has been performed to characterise the biological and physical structure of the water column (including the acquisition of discrete water samples), multicorers have been obtained to characterise the geochemical properties of surface sediments, and a multinet used to obtain macro- and meso-zooplankton community structure. Overall, data will allow to characterize the external forcings and abiotic conditions in the Cantabrian Sea, and thus establish the links between abiotic conditions, populations and pelagic and benthopelagic resources.

The objective of the DOS MARES project is twofold. First, we aim at understanding the effects of the atmospheric teleconnections between the Cantabrian Sea and the north-western Mediterranean Sea, and their impacts on the deep ecosystem, both pelagic and benthic. Second, we want to know in which way the transfer of the signal from the external forcings towards the deep ecosystem controls the community structure and the population dynamics. Thus, in March 2012 we deployed 6 mooring lines equipped with sediment traps and currentmeters in the Avilés and Gaviera canyons and the slope. In September 2012 the moorings were successfully recovered and redeployed again, and during this cruise DOSMARES BIOCANT3 they have been finally recovered and the 1-year monitoring effort finalised. In addition, CTD profiling has been performed to characterise the biological and physical structure of the water column (including the acquisition of discrete water samples), multicorers have been obtained to characterise the geochemical properties of surface sediments, and a multinet used to obtain macro- and meso-zooplankton community structure. Overall, data will allow to characterize the external forcings and abiotic conditions in the Cantabrian Sea, and thus establish the links between abiotic conditions, populations and pelagic and benthopelagic resources.

Evaluate transport of water salinity, temperature, carbon and other variables of the greenhouse

The main target of the NUREIEVA-MAR-1 campaign is twofold. On the one hand, it aims to establish the geometry and the three-dimensional internal structure of the deposit of mineral discharges submerged in front of the Bay of Portmán and, on the other hand, it intends to verify the data obtained by obtaining witnesses from the deposit. During the campaign, a high resolution multibeam bathymetric cartography and a high density mesh of TOPAS PS18 parametric probe profiles will be carried out, and sediment tokens will be obtained by gravity or piston core grabs of the longest length possible, as well as by means of multicorer, box corer and dredge Van Veen for the upper part of the deposit. In addition, the discharge of dissolved metals from the deposit emerged at sea will be quantified using CTD profiles and sampling with hydrographic bottles. Floating microplastics will also be sampled.

The NUREIEV2 cruise targets the main objective of testing the hypothesis that sea storms are the main trigger for the transfer of matter and energy, including pollutants and litter, from the coastal to the deep ocean in the SE of Spain (36º20’N to 37º36’N and 2º40’W to 0º40’W). A dedicated strategy was performed during the NUREIEV2 cruise to achieve the objective including: 1) the collection of sediment cores (multicores) in the vicinity of the mine tailings deposit near the Portman Bay 2) the recovery and redeployment of mooring lines with automated sediment traps and currentmeters to monitor particle fluxes (including pollutants released from the mine tailings deposit) and near bottom oceanographic parameters (current speed and directions, temperature, transmissivity), 3) the profiling of the water column (by means of a CTD) to study physico-chemical characteristics of the water column, 4) the collection of floating debris including microplastics from surface waters 5) and the high resolution swath mapping and TOPAS profiling to investigate seafloor features.