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.

The cruise is a component of RAPID-WATCH, whose objectives are: to deliver a decade-long time series of calibrated and quality-controlled measurements of the Atlantic MOC from the RAPID-WATCH array and; to exploit the data from the RAPID-WATCH array and elsewhere to determine and interpret recent changes in the Atlantic MOC, assess the risk of rapid climate change, and investigate the potential for predictions of the MOC and its impacts on climate. Objectives of this cruise: to recover, calibrate and redeploy moorings from the eastern boundary and mid-Atlantic ridge subarrays of the 26.5N line of RAPID moorings.

The objective of cruise JC103 was to service the moorings of the RAPID 26°N project that are deployed to monitor the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. For each mooring instruments were recovered, data were downloaded and instruments were redeployed. A number of CTDs were made to calibrate the instruments from the moorings. During passage from port of Spain to Nassau trial CTDs were completed in the waters of the Turks and Caicos Islands. After departing Nassau on 29th April work commenced on the western boundary sub-array comprising of moorings WBADCP, WBAL, WB1, WB2, WB2l, WB2h, WB4 and WB4L. The ship returned to Nassau on 6th May to disembark one person before sailing east once again. The final mooring of the wester sub-array was serviced on 8th May before continuing east to the mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) sub-array. Work on the MAR sub-array commenced on 13th May at mooring MAR0. The other moorings in this sub-array were MAR1, MAR1L, MAR2, MAR3 and MAR3L were all completed by 18th May. On the following day the NOG mooring was deployed and as the ship transited to the astern sub-array the first of 5 Argo floats was deployed on 21st May. The eastern boundary sub-array starts at EB1, which was serviced on 23rd May. Following this moorings at EB1L, EBHi, EBH1, EBH2, EBh3,EBh4 and EBH4L in the following days up until 31st May. A number of CTDs were completed form 31st may to 2nd June.

The objective of cruise DY039 was to service the moorings of the RAPID 26°N project that are deployed to monitor the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. For each mooring instruments were recovered, data were downloaded and instruments were redeployed. A number of CTDs were made to calibrate the instruments from the moorings. In addition to the standard instruments used in previous years on the RAPID array, biogeochemical instruments were deployed for the ABC Fluxes project, along with some additional temperature sensors and ADCPs for the MerMeed project. During passage from Southampton to Tenerife trial CTDs were completed in international waters. After a short port call in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, departing on the 26th October work commenced on the eastern boundary sub-array comprising of moorings EBH4, EBH4L, EBH3, EBH2, EBH1, EBH1L, EBHi, EB1 and EB1L. A lander was deployed alongside EBHi to provide delayed-mode data telemetry through timed data pod release. Work on the MAR sub-array commenced on 7th November at mooring MAR3. The other moorings in this sub-array (MAR3L, MAR1, MAR1L, MAR2 and MAR0) were all completed by 12th November. The NOG mooring was also recovered and redeployed as part of the MAR sub-array servicing. Mooring WB6 was serviced on 19th November before transiting to Nassau for customs clearance. The remaining western boundary sub-array moorings (WBADCP, WBAL, WB1, WB2, WB2L, WBH2, WB4 and WB4L) were serviced between the 22nd November and the 30th November before docking in Nassau on the 1st December.

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.

The purpose of the cruise was the refurbishment of an array of moorings on the mid-Atlantic Ridge and off the Moroccan Coast at nominal latitude of 26.5°N. The moorings are part of an Atlantic-wide mooring array for monitoring the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation and Heat Flux. The array is a joint UK/US programme and is known as the RAPID-WATCH/MOCHA array. The RAPID transatlantic array consists of 24 moorings of which 21 are maintained by the UK, and 20 bottom landers of which 16 are maintained by the UK. The moorings are primarily instrumented with self logging instruments measuring conductivity, temperature and pressure. Direct measurements of currents are made in the shallow and deep western boundary currents. The bottom landers are instrumented with bottom pressure recorders (also known as tide gauges), measuring the weight of water above the instrument. A sediment trap mooring NOGST was also recovered and redeployed for the Ocean Biogeochemistry and Ecosystems Group at the NOCS. CTD stations were conducted at convenient times throughout the cruise for purposes of providing pre and post deployment calibrations for mooring instrumentation and for testing mooring releases prior to deployment. Shipboard underway measurements were systematically logged, processed and calibrated, including: waves (spectra of energy and significant wave height), surface meteorology (air pressure, temperature, wind speed and direction and radiation (total incident and photosynthetically active), 6m depth sea temperatures and salinities, water depth, navigation (differential GPS measurements feeding two independent and different receivers, heading, pitch and roll from a four antenna Ashtec ADU5 receiver, gyro heading and ships speed relative to the water using an electromagnetic log). Water velocity profiles from 15m to approximately 500m depth were obtained using a ship mounted 75 kHz acoustic Doppler current profiler. Seawater samples from CTD stations and of the sea-surface were obtained for calibration and analysed on a salinometer referencing these samples against standard sea water. For velocity data (wind and currents) measured relative to the ship considerable effort was made to obtain the best possible earth-referenced velocities. Four APEX Argo floats supplied by the Met Office were deployed at pre-assigned locations, filling gaps in the network.

These mooring operations were completed as a part of the United Kingdom Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) funded RAPID Programme to monitor the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation at 26.5°N. The primary purpose of this cruise was to service the Eastern Boundary and Mid-Atlantic Ridge sections of the 26.5°N mooring array first deployed during RRS Discovery cruises D277 and D278 (SOC cruise report number 53), and serviced in 2005 during RRS Charles Darwin cruise CD177 (NOCS cruise report number 5), in 2006 on RRS Discovery cruise D304 (NOCS cruise report number 16) and FS Poseidon cruises P343 and P345 (NOCS cruise report number 28) and in 2007 on RRS Discovery cruise D324 (NOCS cruise report number 34). Cruise D334 started and finished in Tenerife, Spain and covered the Eastern Boundary and Mid-Atlantic Ridge moorings deployed on D324 and P343. This cruise was the fourth annual refurbishment of the Eastern Boundary and Mid-Atlantic Ridge sections of the mooring array. The array will be further refined and refurbished during subsequent years. The instruments deployed consist of a variety of current meters, bottom pressure recorders, CTD loggers and Inverted Echosounders, which, combined with time series measurements of the Florida Straits current and wind stress estimates, will be used to determine the strength and structure of the MOC at 26.5°N.

Cruise D344 was primarily used for the annual servicing of the eastern boundary and mid-Atlantic ridge moorings that form part of the RAPID-MOC mooring array across the North Atlantic at 26°N. In addition, the easternmost western boundary mooring, WB6, was serviced and the trial current meter mooring off the island of Abaco, WB-CM, was recovered. As the Discovery had made a faster passage than anticipated, a number of CTD stations were performed along 24° 30'N to augment the hydrography section scheduled to take place in January 2010. The instruments deployed on the RAPID-MOC array consist of bottom pressure recorders, CTD loggers, and current meters which, combined with time series measurements of the Florida Channel Current, and wind stress estimates, will be used to determine the strength and structure of the MOC at 26.5°N.

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 RRS Discovery cruise 304 was conducted from 12 May to 6 June 2005 from and to Santa Cruz (Tenerife). The cruise was completed as part of the NERC founded RAPID programme to monitor the meridional overturning circulation at 26 N. The primary purpose was to service the eastern boundary and Mid-Atlantic Ridge part of the 26 N mooring array which had previously been serviced during the RRS Charles Darwin cruises 170 and 177. 12 moorings were successfully recovered, however two of the shallow eastern boundary moorings failed to release. Intense fishing activity at these sites is likely to be the cause. 12 mooring and four bottom pressure landers were re-deployed. Data from two bottom mounted inverted echosounders was uploaded via acoustic telemetry. A total of 10 CTD casts to calibrate the mooring sensors were carried out and 3 Argo floats (from the UK Met Office) were launched. The moored sensors are CTD loggers for the most part but also bottom pressure sensors, different types of current meters and inverted echosounders are used to determine the strength and structure of the meridional overturning circulation.