Notification of research vessel: BIO Hespérides
Oceanographic cruise MOC2-Ecuatorial
April-May 2010
GENERAL INFORMATION:
Part A
1.
Ship’s name: BIO Hespérides
2.
Working period (planned): 2 April to 16 de May 2010
3.
Research organization: Instituto de Ciencias del Mar, CSIC
4.
Operator and owner (if different): Spanish oceanographic research vessel. Belongs
and is operated by the Spanish Navy (Defense Ministry). The scientific management
of the ship is carried out by an inter-ministerial commission (Comisión de
Coordinación y Seguimiento de las Actividades de Buques Oceanográficos), and the
management of its scientific equipments are carried out by the Unidad de Tecnología
Marina of the National Research Council (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones
Científicas, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación).
5.
Ship’s characteristics:
Flag: Spanish
Type of ship: Oceanographic Research Vessel
Year and country of construction: 1992, Spain
Length/width: 82,5 m / 14,30 m
Draft at full load: 4.42 m
Displacement at full load: 2.665,6 Tm
Maximum speed: 14,7 knots
Range: 12000 nautical miles (at 12 knots)
Main engine: 2 x electric engines 1400 kW power at 220 rpm
Four groups of diesel generators (two at 1300 kW and two at 750 kW)
Emergency diesel generator
Propeller: 5 fixed blades
Rudder: Schilling Vectwin
Navigation: 2 x radars ARPA ECDIS. Dynamic positioning 2 x DGPS
Communications: GMDSS, Fleet 77
6.
Crew:
52 crew
37 scientists and tehcnicians
7.
Researchers:
Name and address of principal investigator:
Dr. José Luís Pelegrí Llopart
Instituto de Ciencias del Mar
Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta, 37-49
08003 Barcelona
Spain
Phones: +34 932309514, +34 9323094500
Fax: +34 932309555
Email: [email protected]
8.
Geographic area where the ship will operate (specifying latitude and
longitude): The area covers the equatorial Atlantic from 4ºS until 8.5ºN, and from
the coast of South America until the coast of Africa. Figure 1 shows a cruise map
with the route to follow, with continuous lines indicating those transects to carry out
hydrographic sections and dashed lines for those transects between the
hydrographic sections.
Figure 1. General map of the MOC2-Ecuatorial cruise path. The continuous lines indicate
those transects with hydrographic stations and the dashed lines correspond to navigation
transects with continuous measurements.
9.
Summary description of the cruise’s purpose:
The MOC2-Ecuatorial cruise is the main field activity of subproject “Climate ocean’s
memory: mechanisms and routes of formation of surface waters in the equatorial
Atlantic” (MOC2-ECUATORIAL, with reference code CTM2008-06438-C0201/MAR), which is one of the two subprojects that constitute the project entitled
“Climate ocean’s memory: flux of intermediate waters in the Southern Ocean and
their transformation into surface waters in the equatorial Atlantic” (MOC2, reference
code CTM2008-06438-C02/MAR). The fundamental objective of project MOC2 is to
investigate the transport and transformations experienced by intermediate waters
during their trip from the Southern Ocean until they are incorporated to the surface
waters of the equatorial Atlantic.
The MOC2-Ecuatorial cruise aims at carrying on interdisciplinary oceanographic
measurements in the equatorial Atlantic, with an important hydrographic component.
These measurements aim at finding out the characteristics of the transformation of
intermediate into surface waters. They include a transatlantic section along 8.5ºN
and complementary measurements in the eastern and western margins of the
equatorial Atlantic. There will be about 300 hydrographic stations, with water
samples in most of them. These water samples will be used for diverse biological
and biogeochemical analyses. Further, in several stations there will be additional
microstructure measurements and a total of 18 instrumented buoys will be deployed.
10.
Dates and names of the embarking and disembarking ports:
Embarking port: Fortaleza (Brazil), 2 April 2010
Disembarking port: Mindelo (Cabo Verde), 16 May 2010
11.
Logistic requirements in embarking and disembarking ports:
None.
DETAILED INFORMATION
Part B
1.
Vessel’s name: BIO Hespérides
2.
Working period (planned): 2 April to 16 May de 2010
3.
Cruise’s objectives and general methodology to be used:
The MOC2-Ecuatorial cruise will carry out oceanographic measurements in the
equatorial Atlantic, with an important hydrographic component. The measurements
aim at finding out the magnitude and characteristics of those processes that
transform intermediate into surface waters. The MOC2-Ecuatorial cruise has three
parts, to be carried out in the following order:
1- Three sections in the WESTERN margin of the equatorial and tropical Atlantic,
wit the purpose of studying the propagation of intermediate waters of
intermediate origin along the western boundary current.
2- A ZONAL transatlantic section along 8.5ºN, hence repeating the International
Geophysical Year section carried out in 1957 (Fuglister, 1960), later in 1993 as
part of the WOCE experiment (Arhan et al., 1998), and more recently by
scientists of the Shirhov Institute of Oceanology (Lappo et al., 2001). The double
objective is to study the penetration of Antarctic intermediate waters into the
North Atlantic and to examine the temporal evolution of the distributions of
hydrographic properties in the north equatorial Atlantic during the last decades.
3- A grid of seven zonal sections in the EASTERN portion of the equatorial Atlantic,
with the purpose of studying the vertical motions and the mixing processes that
transform intermediate into surface waters.
Figure 1 schematically shows those sections with hydrographic stations (solid lines)
and those navigation transects with continuous measurements (dashed lines).
Figure 2 shows the route to be followed during the cruise to carry out the
measurements. The cruise will start at Fortaleza (Brazil) on 2 April 2010 and
conclude in Mindelo (Cabo Verde) on 16 May 2010, for a total of 45 days. In
summary we will navigate 8380 nm (762 hours) with a total of some 285
hydrographic stations (318 hours). We will now present the different phases of the
cruise. Table 1 presents a summary of the navigation and measurement transects to
be carried out, while Table 2 present the estimated times for each phase.
Figure 2. General map of the MOC2-Ecuatorial cruise. The map shows the route to follow
to reach the 8.5ºN transatlantic section, which constitutes the second part of the cruise.
Table 1. Transects, distances and number of stations for each part of the cruise.
Part
1
2
3
Leg
navigation, Fortaleza to 4ºS
4S (4ºS, 32 to 37.5ºW)
navigation
00 (0º, 39.5 to 44.75ºW)
navigation
4N (4ºN, 45 to 50ºW)
navigation
8.5N (8.5ºN, 58.5 to 15ºW)
navigation
2N
navigation
1N
navigation
0.5N
navigation
00
navigation
0.5S
navigation
1S
navigation
2S
navigation to Mindelo
Distance
(nautical
miles)
300
300
270
300
250
300
580
2600
430
240
60
240
30
240
30
240
30
240
30
240
60
240
1130
Total
Total
navigation
Legs with
stations
Number of
stations
1420
900
30
580
2600
430
2600
87
1920
1680
168
1130
8380
5180
285
300
Table 2. Times for navigation and at station for each part of the cruise.
Part
navega
1
Navegation
(in hours),
with the ship
at 11 knots
27
129
navega
2
53
236
navega
3
navega
Total
(hours)
39
175
103
762
Distance
between
stations
(mn)
No. of
stations
Mean depth
of stations
(m)
Mean
time at
station
Time at
stations
(hours)
Total
(hours)
30
30
1500 (or sea
bottom)
1,5 horas
0
45
27
174
30
87
1500 (or sea
bottom)
1,5 horas
0
130
53
366
10
168
1000
50 min
0
143
0
318
39
318
103
1080
The first part of the cruise (WESTERN) consists of three zonal hydrographic
sections of 300 nm each, to be carried out at 4ºS, oº and 4ºN, and continuous
measurements in between these sections (Table 1). These zonal sections will be
carried out moving westwards, hence with the easterly zonal winds, until reaching
the continental platform. To carry out this first part of the cruise permission will be
requested to the coastal country, Brazil. The measurements within the continental
platform will be done beyond 24 nm but some of them within 200 nm from the coast.
Figure 3 presents a map with more detail of the planned route.
During this first part the hydrographic stations will be done every 30 nm, from the
sea surface to the sea bottom in all three zonal sections. The estimated mean time
per station is 1.5 hours, although some will be shorter (over the platform) and others
will be longer. In Table 2 we present the times required both for navigation and to do
the hydrographic stations. In summary, in this first part of the cruise the ship will
navigate about 1420 nm and will carry out some 30 hydrographic stations, with a
total estimated time of 174 hours.
Figure 3. Map with the path to follow during the first part of the cruise.
The second part of the cruise (ZONAL) corresponds to the transatlantic section
along 8.5ºN (Table 1). This section starts about 50 nm from the Venezuelan coast,
just north of the border with Guyana. To carry out this first part of the cruise
permission will be requested to the coastal country, Venezuela. Given the proximity
of the border with Guyana the westernmost stations of this section if necessary
would be moved a few minutes to the north. In the eastern margin the section will
end about 100 nm from the African coast so permission will also be requested to the
African coastal country, Sierra Leona. A general view of the path to follow may be
seen in Figure 2.
During this second part the hydrographic stations will be done every 30 nm, from the
sea surface to the sea bottom, along the whole section (mean estimated time per
station is 1.5 hours). Table 2 shows the times required for navigation and to do the
hydrographic stations during this part of the cruise. In summary, the ship will
navigate about 2600 nm and will carry out some 87 hydrographic stations, with a
total estimated time of 366 hours.
Finally, the third part of the cruise (EASTERN) will take place in a grid of
hydrographic stations as shown, for orientation purposes, in Figure 4. These are
seven zonal sections of about 240 nm each, approximately centered at 20ºW and
the equator. Durintg this part of the cruise the hydrographic stations will be done
every 10 nm but only down to a depth of 1000 m (about 50 minutes per station). A
portion of this grid may also be carried out with the CTD in yo-yo mode, with the ship
steaming at about 2 knots. In this portion there would be no hydrographic stations,
so that the required time would be the same as that for the hydrographic stations. In
several locations of the grid there will be repeated profiles with a free-falling
microprofiler, down to 400 m depth..
Table 2 presents the times dedicated to navigation and to do the hydrographic
stations for this third part of the cruise. The transects and number of stations are
approximate since the final measurements will depend on the instrumentation finally
abailable in the vessel. In summary, during this part of the cruise we estimate to
navigate 1920 nm and to carry out 168 hydrographic stations (or its equivalent in
terms of yo-yo type measurements), with a total estimated time of 318 hours.
The type of measurements may be divided into three groups as summarised below.
These will be accompanied by the continuous acquisition of meteorological data by
the ship’s meteorological station, and of temperature images by the ship’s satellite
acquisition system.
1. Continuous measurements
- Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler, ADCP
The ship’s ADCP will continuously measure ocean currents down to some 320 m
during the whole cruise.
- Thermosalinometer and fluorometer
These systems will take continuous measurements of surface temperature, salinity
and fluorescence throughout the cruise.
- Expendable Bathythermographs, XBTs
During the cruise, in egions of special interest, we will launch XBTs down to 1000 m
depth.
2ºN
1ºN
0.5ºN
0º
0.5ºS
1ºS
2ºS
20ºW
Figure 4. Approximate route to be followed during the third part of the cruise.
2. Hydrographic stations
There will be a total of about 285 hydrographic stations.
- Biochemical analyses
Water samples at each station will be taken with a Rosette for 24 different depths.
These samples will be used to determine inorganic nutrients, pH, alkalinity,
particulate and dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen, particulate and total organic
phosporous.
- Biological analyses
Chlorophyll and cytometry analyses will be carried out every two stations. Water
samples of coccolitophorids will be taken to the Institut de Ciencies del Mar for
counting and identification through Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM).
- Clorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
For stations along section 8.5ºN samples will be collected and prepared for posterior
analyses of CFCs in the University of Bremen laboratories.
- Conductivity-Temperature-Depth (CTD) and Lowered ADCP (LADCP)
The ship’s CTD system will be deployed together with the Rosette to determine the
vertical distribution of temperature, salinity, fluorescence, dissolved oxygen and
turbidity. A LADCP will also be attached to the Rosette, in order to determine the
vertical structure of the currents.
- Microprofiler
In the EASTERN grid a microprofiler will be used at selected stations in order to
carry out microstructure and vertical mixing studies.
- Salinometer
The ship’s salinometer will be used to calibrate the salinity measurements at each
station along the 8.5ºN transect (WOCE standard) and in other slected stations.
- Oxygen calibration
In most stations several selected water samples will be used to determine the
concentration of dissolved oxygen, that later will be used to calibrate the CTD
oxygen sensor.
3. Deployment of instrumented buoys
A total of 18 instrumented buoys, with salinity and temperature sensors, will be
deployed.
4.
Enclose a map on an adequate scale showing the geographic region where
work is planned and the location of moorings (if any), as well as any other
relevant information.
There will be no moorings. We next show a map with the planned measurements in
the three hydrographic sections (4ºS, 0º and 4ºN) that enter in Brazil’s territorial
waters. The solid lines correspond to those sections where hydrographic stations
will be carried out every 30 nm. The solid lines correspond to those sections where
hydrographic stations will be done approximately every 30 nm. The dashed lines
indicate those transect in between the hydrographic transects, where only
continuous measurements will be taken.
Figure 5. Measurements region within Brazil’s trerritorial waters and in the adjacent region. Solid
lines indicate transects with hydrographic stations along 4ºS, 0º and 4ºN.
5.
Type of samples to be taken (if any):
Water samples at 24 different depths will be taken at each hydrographic station, from
the sea surface to the sea bottom.
6.
Details of moored equipments (if any):
None.
7.
Explosives (if any):
None.
8.
Details and references about:
a) Past and future cruises:
The research teams involved in this cruise have never done any research in the
equatorial and tropical regions. The main study area for these teams has always
been the eastern margin of the subtropical Atlantic Ocean. Some references of the
work done in this area are the following:
Pastor, M.V, J.L. Pelegrí, A. Hernández-Guerra, J. Font, J. Salat, and M. Emelianov,
2008. Water and nutrient fluxes off northwest Africa, Cont. Shelf Res., 28,
915-936.
Sangrà, P., M. Auladell, A. Marrero-Díaz, J.L. Pelegrí, E. Fraile-Nuez, A. RodríguezSantana, J.M. Martín, E. Mason, and A. Hernández-Guerra, 2007. On the
nature of oceanic eddies shed by the Island of Gran Canaria. Deep-Sea Res.
I, 54, 687-709.
Pelegrí, J.L., A. Marrero-Díaz, and A.W. Ratsimandresy, 2006. Nutrient irrigation of
the North Atlantic. Prog. Oceanogr., 70, 366-406.
Machín, F., A. Hernández-Guerra, and J.L. Pelegrí, 2006. Mass fluxes in the Canary
Basin. Prog. Oceanogr., 70, 416-447.
Machín, F., J.L. Pelegrí, I. Láiz, A. Marrero-Díaz, and A.W. Ratsimandresy, 2006.
Near-surface circulation in the southern Gulf of Cádiz. Deep-Sea Res. II, 53,
1161-1181.
Machín, F., and J. L. Pelegrí, 2006. The effect of the Canary Islands in the blockage
and mixing of the North Atlantic eastern water masses. Geophys. Res. Lett.,
33, doi:10.1029/2005GL025048.
Sangrá, P., J. L. Pelegrí, J. Arístegui, I. Arregui, A. Hernández-Guerra, A. MarreroDíaz, J. M. Martín, A. Martínez, A. W. Ratsimandresy, and A. RodríguezSantana, 2005. Life story of an anticyclonic eddy. J. Geophys. Res., 110,
C03021, doi:10.1029/2004JC002526.
Pelegrí, J. L., J. Arístegui, L. Cana, M. González, A. Hernández-Guerra, S.
Hernández-León, A. Marrero-Díaz, M. F. Montero, P. Sangrá, and M.
Santana-Casiano, 2005: Coupling between the open ocean and the coastal
upwelling region off Northwest Africa: Water recirculation and offshore
pumping of organic matter. J. Mar. Syst., 54, 3-37.
Pelegrí, J. L., A. Marrero, A. Ratsimandresy, A. Antoranz, J. Cisneros, C. Gordo, D.
Grisolía, A. Hernández-Guerra, I. Láiz, A. Martínez, G. Parrilla, P. PérezRodríguez, A. Rodríguez-Santana, and P. Sangrá, 2005: Hydrographic
cruises off northwest Africa: The Canary Current and the Cape Ghir region. J.
Mar. Syst., 54, 39-63.
García-Muñoz, M., A. Antoranz, J. Arístegui, J. L. Pelegrí, and M. Torres, 2005:
Phytoplankton distribution and exchange of carbon and nutrients off Cape
Ghir (NW Africa), J. Mar. Syst., 54, 83-95.
b) Published data related to the planned cruise:
None. This is a new topic of research for the participating team, even new for the
physical oceanography Spanish community.
9.
Name and address of the researchers in the coastal country that have been
contacted:
Janice Romaguera Trotte
Advisor for Foreign Relations and for the GOOS National Committee
Hydrography and Navigation Direction
Brazilian Navy
Rua Barão de Jaceguai, s/n
Niterói, Rio de Janeiro
24.048-900 – Brazil
Phone: +55 (21) 2189-3013
Fax:
+55 (21) 2189-3088
Email: [email protected]
10.
Indicate the following:
a) Will the researchers of the coastal country be invited to visit the ship when
it is at harbour?
Yes. Further, we will be pleased to show the ship’s facilities to graduate students.
b) Will there be an observer of the coastal country during the oceanographic
cruise?
Yes, we offer one place for an observer of the coastal country. We hope that this
cruise may serve as a starting point for future collaborations with an oceanographic
research team from Brazil.
c) When and how will the data be made available to the coastal country?
A digital copy of the data set will be made available to the coastal country at the end
of the cruise.
11.
Complete the following table (answering “yes” or “no”)
Distance to shore
Within
Between
12
12 and
nautical 50
miles
nautical
miles
Between
50 and
200
nautical
miles
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes
Yes
No
Yes
No
No
Yes
Drifting
instrumented buoys
No
Yes
No
No
Yes
Ondulating CTD
(yo-yo mode)
No
Yes
No
No
Yes
Microprofiler
No
Yes
No
No
Yes
List of research
equipments to be
used
Fishing
research
within the
established
limits
Rosette with 24
bottles
No
Research
in the
continental
platform
beyond
the limits
of the
coastal
country
Yes
CTD system
(conductivitytemperature-depth)
LADCP (Lowered
Acoustic Doppler
Profiler on the
Rosette)
ADCP (Acoustic
Doppler Profiler on
the ship)
Continuous
thermosalinometer
and fluorometer
XBTs (Expandable
Bathythermogrpahs)
No