CRUISE PLAN R/V WECOMA

Oregon State University - College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences

FILING DATE: January 1998

CRUISE NUMBER: W98-04D
TITLE: Bering Sea Investigation

CONTRACT/GRANT NUMBER:

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS:

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

CRUISE DATES: April 30 - May 5, 1998

PURPOSE:

One of the goals of our laboratory is to gain understanding of the mean state and variability of the Bering Sea, with an emphasis on aspects relevant to natural resources, especially fisheries. This project will provide an opportunity to deploy and/or recover moorings that, due to extenuating circumstances (I.e., adverse weather conditions, unexpected emergencies. . .), were not deployed during the spring MILLER FREEMAN cruises. A CTD, nutrient and bongo grid for the southeast Bering Sea will be substituted if the mooring work is completed on previous MILLER FREEMAN cruises.

ITINERARY:

The ship will depart Dutch Harbor for mooring sites or the CTD/bongo grid - again, depending on what was not accomplished during previous MILLER FREEMAN cruises.

RADIOACTIVE METHODS: None will be used.

SAMPLING PLAN:

Upon arrival of the scientific party, a sampling plan will be presented. CTD casts will be with the ship's CTD system at the mooring sites prior to the recovery of any mooring and subsequent to the deployment of any mooring. All casts will be made to near bottom or the maximum depths of the sensors. Lowering speeds will be about 30 m/min in the upper 200 m and about 45 m/min below that. Retrieval will be at the fastest practical speed. A salinity sample at each CTD station will be collected for later analysis. CTD casts will be with the ship's CTD system at the mooring sites prior to the recovery of any mooring and subsequent to the deployment of any mooring.

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 < 500 m, bottom tracking mode should be used; elsewhere, data will be recorded without bottom tracking.

EQUIPMENT REQUIRED:

Shipboard CTD 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

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: Carol DeWitt, NOAA/PMEL;

Other scientists: Bill Parker (PMEL)

OSU Marine Technicians: 1 requested

USER SUPPLIED EQUIPMENT:

Scientific gear will vary depending on what mooring deployments/recoveries are to be accomplished. The list of gear may include the following:

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 or two 13-foot diameter surface buoy.

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

ATTACHMENTS:

Station Map (not with this version)

List of CTD Casts (not with this version)