CRUISE PLAN R/V WECOMA

Oregon State University - College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences

FILING DATE: March 1997

CRUISE NUMBER: W9705B

TITLE: North Pacific Investigation

CONTRACT/GRANT NUMBER: 04NA67RJ0151

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS: Ronald K. Reed and Phyllis J. Stabeno, NOAA/Pacific Marine Environmental Lab., (206) 526-6818, (206) 526 6453, Fax: (206) 526-6485.

CRUISE DATES: May 13 - June 1, 1997 (original end date June 3)

PURPOSE: One of the goals of our laboratory is to gain understanding of the mean state and variability of the northern Pacific Ocean, with an emphasis on aspects relevant to natural resources, especially fisheries. This project will investigate the transport and water properties, throughout the water column, of the westward flowing Alaskan Stream to the south of the Aleutian Islands. Flow of stream water through deep passes (Amukta and Amchitka Passes) into the Bering Sea will also be examined.

ITINERARY: The ship will depart Seattle and steam to the offshore end of section I (53° 38'N; 157° 50'N). The stations are then taken in order according to the attached "List of CTD Casts" and attached cruise track map.

RADIOACTIVE METHODS: None will be used.

SAMPLING PLAN: CTD casts will be with the ship's CTD system at the sites indicated in "List of CTD Casts." All casts will be made to near bottom or the maximum depths of the sensors. Lowering speeds be about 30m/min in the upper 300m and about 50m/min below that. Retrieval will be at the fastest practical speed. We may collect about 50 nutrient samples, on four casts, for refrigeration and later analysis. A similar number of salinity samples will be collected for later analysis. On section IV in Amukta Pass, the four CTD casts (sta. 23-26) will first be made, the ship will then steam back and forth across the pass profiling currents with the shipboard ADCP; after about 25 hrs, the casts (sta. 27-30) will then be repeated moving from east to west. Some modification to the CTD sampling sites may be necessary as a result of progress and time constraints. The shipboard ADCP system, in conjunction with GPS navigation, will be used when the ship is underway at constant speed and course from the start of Section I until the end of Section X. In water < 500m, bottom tracking mode should be used; elsewhere, data will be recorded without bottom tracking.

EQUIPMENT REQUIRED: ShipboardCTD system (with spare sensors); associated data display, logging, and output systems; shipboard ADCP profiler with display and logging system; GPS navigation system and INMARSAT phone/fax system for occasional scientific use. The Ashtech system must be functioning for use with GPS navigation.

Sea-Bird 911+ CTD with

16-18 5-liter Nisken bottles, mounting pins and spares
CTD PAR with cables and mount
CTD fluorometer with cables and mount
CTD transmissometer with cables and mount
pinger
rosette
CTD stand
CTD weights

Sea-Bird deck unit

tape recorder or VCR

CTD computer

150 KHz ADCP with Ashtech 3DF heading input

thermosalinograph

Ship speed, heading, high resolution position, wind speed, wind direction, TSG conductivity, and TSG temperature should be logged by computer every 60 seconds. This data should be backed up daily. Wet and dry bulbs, air temperature and relative humidity should be manually recorded by the bridge every four hours.

SCIENTIFIC PERSONNEL: Scientist in charge: Ronald K. Reed, NOAA/PMEL;
Other scientists: David G. Kachel, Carol DeWitt, Pim van Meurs (all PMEL), and
Sonia Olivella- Hamilton (JISAO).

OSU Marine Technicians: 1 requested

USER SUPPLIED EQUIPMENT:
Vans/Containers: None
One - two computer terminals, software package/discs, and about six crates of sample bottles.

OTHER BULKY HEAVY ITEMS: Concrete anchors, cable, subsurface floats, one 13-foot diameter surface buoy. (This will not be used on this cruise. Would like to transport for offloading to the R/V Alpha Helix in Dutch Harbor.

Location: Open deck
Estimated Weight: 12,000 pounds.

BILLING INFORMATION:
Name: Cindy Loitsch
Address: NOAA, PMEL, 7600 Sand Point Way N.E., Seattle, WA 98115
Account Number (or number to reference):

DO YOU WANT CELLULAR/INMARSAT PHONE ACCESS: Yes