We are seven days into our journey and the research and activities are all running smoothly. The teams are collecting data efficiently and the work at stations are well planned.
The different groups make use of various types of gear to collect data for their research. For the oceanographers, the CTDO sonde onboard has been extremely useful.
The vessel stops regularly at stations and the sonde is dropped to 2000m depth. On its way down, the sonde reads temperature, density, conductivity, and from these data the scientists are able to calculate salinity.
The sonde also reads the oxygen content in the water and the chlorophyll. On the CTD stations, water is also collected at 12 separate depths using Niskin bottles (see image). The water is analysed for nutrients, dissolved gasses, chlorophyll, oxygen content and the presence of phytoplankton.
Next we’re steaming along towards the south-west, along the 20th degree south.
We’ll be sampling every 150 nautical miles, an trawling for mesopelagic fish in between the ecological stations. Be sure to come back and join us as we enter our second week of our Indian Ocean jouney.
03/07/2015