SeepC 2015: Atlantic Margin

Ship

R/V Atlantis

Vehicles

AUV Sentry, HOV Alvin

Cruise Party

David Eggleston: Principal Investigator
NC State University 303 College Circle Morehead City, NC US 27695
+1 919 515 7840
eggleston@ncsu.edu

Cindy Van Dover: Chief Scientist
Duke University Marine Laboratory 135 Duke Marine Lab Rd Beaufort, NC US 28516
+1 252 504 7655
clv3@duke.edu

Craig Young: Principal Investigator
University of Oregon Oregon Institute of Marine Biology P.O. BOX 5389 Charleston, OR US 97420
+1 541 888 2581 ext. 299
cmyoung@uoregon.edu

Departure: Morehead City NC on Jul 8, 2015

Arrival: Woods Hole MA on Jul 28, 2015

Mobilization Date: Jul 6, 2015

Supporting documentation:

Operations Area: Atlantic Margin - site locations shared with WHOI as xlsx file

Lat/Lon:

Depth Range: min / max (m)

Will the vessel be operating within 200 NM of a foreign country? no

Science objectives

The primary objective of the SeepC Project is to advance our general knowledge of connectivity in the deep sea using taxa found at seeps as model systems. The focus is on species and processes occurring in the Intra-American Sea (including the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and eastern seaboard of the US), with attention to oceanographic circulation, life histories, and genetics.  Questions that apply in shallow-water systems motivate this study:

1. What phylogeographic breaks occur in the system? It is important to distinguish between phylogeography and connectivity.  A phylogeographic break implies a long history of isolation or possibly cryptic speciation, while genetic population structure indicates gene flow is reduced, but still ongoing or recent. 
2. Do collections from different sites indicate a panmictic population of a given species?  This is the fundamental question about connectivity and the scale of population genetic variation in marine species with planktonic larvae and it comprises extent of gene flow, directionality, and relative contributions.
3. What bio-physical processes underlie observed connectivities?  Biological processes (e.g., larval distributions in the water column, timing of reproduction, and planktonic larval duration) and physical processes of transport and dispersion interact to determine connectivity.

Our efforts include improving the oceanographic model for the IAS near the seabed using current data from moorings at several depths and locations and coupling this model to a Lagrangian larval transport model.  We stress the importance of iterative interactions among the science teams to advance our understanding of connectivity in the deep sea through descriptive and hypothesis-driven research.   We will develop effective and best methods for hypothesis testing under the constraints of working in a relatively inaccessible environment and will build capacity in understanding connectivity in deep-sea systems.

Science Activities

1) Two mooring recoveries
2) Alvin seep sampling
mussels, clams, tubeworms, and associated animals; targeting at least 30 individuals per species (manips, net, slurp); carbonates
3) Sentry plankton sampling 
4) MOCNESS tows
5) Sentry high-resolution mapping 
6) CTD casts
7) XBTs
8) Shipboard acoustics (methane plumes)

Pre-cruise planning meeting: Teleconference

Stations:

Funding Agency: NSF #1031050

- added NSF #1031050 on Mar 30, 2015 3:48 PM by Prof Cindy Lee Van Dover

R/V Atlantis

Shipboard Equipment

Bathymetry System 12 kHz
Sippican XBT System (Mark 21)
Bathymetry System 3.5 kHz
Deionized Water System
Science Underway Seawater System
Multibeam
Fume Hood
Navigation - Position

Shipboard Communication

Basic Internet access via HiSeasNet

CTD/Water Sampling

911+ Rosette 24-position, 10-liter bottle Rosette with dual T/C sensors
Mocness

Critical CTD Sensors: 

Sample Storage

Climate Controlled Walk-in
Freezer -70°C 25 cu. ft.
Freezer -70°C 3.2 cu. ft. ea.
Refrigerator 8.6 cu. ft.
Scientific Walk-in Freezer


Storage Notes: NB: We would like two walk-in spaces temperature controlled, one set a the ambient temperaure at 450 m, the other set at near-freezing. I.e., both at refrigerator T (7C, 3-4C). I checked the 'walk-in freezer' as the place holder for these two walk-in needs.  We will supply temperatures.

Navigation

Will you be using Long Base Line (LBL) navigation? no

Will you be using Ultra-short baseline (USBL) navigation for other than Alvin operations? no

Navigation

GPS
USBL

Navigation Notes: For navigation and maps, we defer a final decision until consultation with the Alvin and Sentry operators.  There is a lot of high resolution mapping already completed for the GoM; we need to discover how to find the right type of files and would value advice.

Winches

CTD Winch with .322" Electro-mechanical wire

Winch Notes:

Wire use and application

CTD Winch with .322" Electro-mechanical wire


Wire Notes:

Slip ring required? no	Number of conductors:
Non-standard wire required? no	Type:
Traction winch required? no	Describe:

Other Science Vans:

Specialized Deck Equipment

Mooring Deployment/Recovery Equipment Required: yes	Type: MOORING TEAM: Please request t
Cruise Specific Science Winch Required: no	Type:
Nets Required: no	Type:

Over the Side Equipment

Will you be bringing any equipment (winches, blocks, etc.) that lowers instruments over the side? no

Special Requirements

Elecrical Power: no	Identify:
Equipment Handling: no	Identify:
Inter/intraship Communications: no	Identify:
Science Stowage: no	Identify:
Water: no	Identify:

Additional Cruise Items/Activities

Explosive Devices: no Portable Air Compressors: no Flammable Gases: no

Small Boat Operations: no SCUBA Diving Operations: no

Hazardous Material

Will hazardous material be utilized? yes

Describe deployment method and quantity:
We will use small volumes of formalin and alcohol to preserve specimens.

CRAIG YOUNG: Add your larval trap chemicals

Radioactive Material

Radioiosotopes: no

Additional Information

Is night time work anticipated on this cruise? yes

Specialized tech support (Seabeam, coring, other):  MOCNESS, SENTRY

Other required equipment and special needs: 

AUV Sentry

Site Survey

Will you provide detailed charts of the work area(s)?  yes
Current Chart(s):


If no, will you need Sentry to generate maps of the work area(s)?  yes

Will you need post-dive maps of the work area generated?  yes

Navigation

Will you be using Long Base Line (LBL) navigation? no

Will you be using Ultra-short baseline (USBL) navigation? yes

Will you be using Doppler/GPS navigation? yes

Sensors & Samplers

Large capacity slurp samplers (Multi-chamber)
Large capacity slurp samplers (Single Chamber)
Scoop nets
What type of samples do you expect to collect?
BioBoxes carbonates, mussels, other seep invertebrates push cores

Science Supplied Equipment

Are you supplying equipment to be used with AUV Sentry?  no

Has this equipment been used on Sentry before?  no

Please give a brief description of the equipment, its intended purpose, the cruise # it was last used on if any and its deployment method.

Does this equipment use an external pressure housing?  no

Has the pressure case been tested to the anticipated depth of deployment?  no

Air weight(s) of this equipment?

Water weight(s) of this equipment?

Does the equipment require data or a power interface from the vehicle?
  no

Does the equipment meet the electrical requirements of the Sentry User Manual?  no

Cameras & Video

Digital Still Camera: Color

Additional Information

Brief operations description or comments: A Duke colleague inquired about whether we could deploy a buoy off Hatteras.  I have requested information from him about the buoy dimensions.  My guess is this will not happen, but if he does have the buoy ready, I would be interested in looking into whether we can deploy it.

HOV Alvin

Site Survey

Will you provide detailed charts of the work area(s)?  no
Current Chart(s):


If no, willl you need R/V Atlantis to generate maps of the work area(s)?  no

Will you need post-dive maps of the work area generated?  no

Navigation

Will you be using Long Base Line (LBL) navigation? no

Will you be using Ultra-short baseline (USBL) navigation for other than Alvin operations? no

Vehicle Equipment

Bio collection boxes: 12 x 12 x 12
Bio collection boxes: 12 x 12 x 24
CTD
Large capacity slurp samplers: single-chamber
Push corers (12-pack rack)
Scoop nets
Small capacity slurp samplers
Large capacity slurp samplers: multi-chamber
Low temperature probe


What type of samples do you expect to collect?
Benthic fauna (primarily), to include mussels, urchins, holothurians, crustaceans, polychaetes, and gastropods. We would like to have the large capacity slurp available but do not plan to have it mounted for the majority of the dives. Push cores in mat and adjacent sediments We do not expect to use the large capacity slurp sampler, but figure it might be good to have available as back-up.

Elevators

Will you be using elevators to transport samples to the surface?  no
If yes, how many would you anticipate? 

Science Supplied Equipment

Are you supplying equipment to be used on HOV Alvin?  no

Has this equipment been used on Alvin before?  no

Please give a brief description of the equipment, its intended purpose, the cruise # it was last used on if any and its deployment method.

Does this equipment use an external pressure housing?  no

Has the pressure housing been tested per Alvin Pressure Test requirements?  no

Air weight of this equipment?

Water weight(s) of this equipment?

Does the equipment require a power interface from Alvin?  no

Voltage required

Power required

Data Interface

Does the equipment meet the electrical requirements of the Alvin User Manual?  no

Please provide power and comms specifics, wiring diagram, pinout, and wiring harness in advance of the cruise.

Does this equipment require hydraulic inputs from Alvin?  no
Hydraulic schematic of the equipment requirements.

Does this equipment require manipulation?  no

If yes, please describe how the equipment is to be manipulated: 

Will this equipment be deployed off the vehicle?  no

If yes, please describe how the equipment is intended for deployment: 

If yes, will the equipment be disconnected from the vehicle and left in situ?  no

How long will the deployment be? 

Will the equipment be recovered by the same vehicle?  no

Do you intend to recover any other previously deployed equipment?  no

If yes, please describe this equipment: 

Does this equipment use any glass spheres, ceramic housings or similar (non-metallic materials) for either buoyancy or as pressure housings?  no

Do you require any electronic equipment in the personal sphere? no

Has the computer or control panel been gas tested for use in the personnel sphere?  no

Hazardous Material

Will hazardous material be utilized? no

Additional Information

Brief operations description or comments:

Date Submitted: Apr 9, 2015 10:24 AM by Prof Cindy Lee Van Dover