The major aims of Charles Darwin cruise 178 were to obtain: (i) 3D seismic imagery, video transects and swath bathymetry maps of mud volcanoes in the southern Gulf of Cadiz, (ii) video transects across suspected cold water coral reefs in the Alboran Sea, and (iii) 3D seismic imagery of submarine landslides in the Eivissa Channel, immediately east of the Balearic Islands in the western Mediterranean Sea. The cruise was in support of the EU Framework 6 'HERMES' project (Hotspot Ecosystem Research on the Margins of European Seas). A total of four 3D seismic cubes and 10 successful video transects were completed. Live chemosynthetic communities found on one mud volcano in the Gulf of Cadiz appear to indicate active methane seepage. Images of gas-charged sediments in areas of submarine landsliding in the Eivissa Channel appear to indicate a direct linkage between landsliding and fluid escape.

CD170 was a collaborative cruise with the Knorr cruise KN182_2. The latter cruise was conducted between 2 May 2005 and 26 May 2005. These cruises were completed as part of the UK Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) funded RAPID Programme and the US National Science Federation (NSF) funded MOCHA Programme to monitor the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation at 26.5 degrees North. The primary purpose of both cruises was to service the 26.5 degrees North mooring array deployed in 2004 during RRS Discovery cruises D277 and D278. These cruises are the first annual refurbishment of this array.

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 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.