BLATZ II

Ship

R/V Knorr

Vehicles

Cruise Party

Benjamin Van Mooy: Chief Scientist, Principal Investigator
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Fye 119, MS#04 Woods Hole, Ma. USA 02543
+1 508 289 2322
bvanmooy@whoi.edu

Departure: WHOI on Apr 22, 2012

Arrival: Bermuda on May 5, 2012

Mobilization Date: Apr 21, 2012

Demobilization Date: Jun 5, 2012

Supporting documentation:

»knorr_cruise_map_Van_Mooy.pdf

Operations Area: WHOI to the southern tip of Nova Scotia to Bermuda

Lat/Lon: 37° 0.0′ N / 60° 0.0′ W

Depth Range: min / max (m)

Will the vessel be operating within 200 NM of a foreign country? Canada and Bermuda
Are visas or special travel documents required? no

Science objectives

Intact polar diacyglycerols (IP-DAGs) are the fatty-acid bearing lipid molecules that compose bacterial and eukaryotic cell membranes.  As such, they are one of the most abundant classes of lipid molecules in plankton, and play a major role in the marine carbon cycle.  However, until very recently, the molecular diversity of IP-DAGs was poorly understood; the structural identity and characteristics of IP-DAGs were inferred almost exclusively from their constituent fatty acids.  Led by advances in high performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS) methods, we have established that the IP-DAGs in the upper ocean are dominated by sulfolipids and betaine lipids.  These non-phosphorus containing IP-DAGs were largely unknown to chemical oceanography.  In contrast, phospholipids, which have been the focus of considerable research, compose a disproportionally small fraction of total IP-DAGs.  Over the last three years we have made some progress in understanding the planktonic origins of non-phosphorus IP-DAGs and have identified the possibility that sulfolipids and betaine lipids are substituted for phospholipids by phytoplankton when dissolved phosphate becomes scarce.  But we still lack even a cursory understanding of biochemical functions and geochemical fates of non-phosphorus IP-DAGs.  Given that these molecules are among the most abundant lipid molecules on the planet, this represents a profound and unexpected gap in our understanding the marine carbon and phosphorus cycles.  In this proposal we outline a research plan to begin to rectify this situation.  Specifically, we will ask:

•  How do non-phosphorus lipids contribute to variations in the C:N:P of particulate organic matter in the Sargasso Sea?

•  What are the relative degradation rates of phospholipids and non-phosphorus lipids in surface waters?

•  Which groups of microbes utilize the carbon and phosphorus from different IP-DAGs?

 • What are the relative contributions of different IP-DAGs to particulate organic matter export to the deep-sea?

Science Activities

We plan to conduct two, 5-day quasi-lagrangian time-series stations at 65W, one north the Gulf Stream and one south of the Gulf Stream.  The daily cruise track will be centered around following our free-floating sediment net traps arrays.  We will retrieve and re-deploy traps on 24 hour intervals (generally beginning at day break).  In the afternoons, we will conduct CTD casts, primarily in the upper 250 m.  Overnight, we will deploy McLane pumps.

Pre-cruise planning meeting: Visit WHOI

I'm around most of the rest of December, and am now able to focus on preparing for this cruise.

Stations:

Funding Agency: NSF #1031143

- added NSF #1031143 on Dec 7, 2011 12:41 PM by
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R/V Knorr

Shipboard Equipment

ADCP 300 kHz
ADCP 75 kHz
Deionized Water System
Science Underway Seawater System
12 kHz Pinger for Wire Use
Fume Hood

Shipboard Communication

Is there a need to receive data from shore on a regular basis?
Is there an expectation to use Skype or any other real-time video conference program?

CTD/Water Sampling

Wet Labs ECO-AFL fluorometer
Wet Labs C*Star transmissometer (660nm wavelength)
Seapoint STM turbidity sensor
SBE43 oxygen sensor
911+ Rosette 24-position, 10-liter bottle Rosette with dual T/C sensors
Biospherical underwater PAR (1000m depth limit) with reference Surface PAR

Critical CTD Sensors: 

Hydrographic Analysis Equipment

Oxygen Sample Bottles (available in 150 ml sizes)
Dissolved Oxygen Titration System (Brinkmann Titrator)

MET Sensors

Barometric Pressure
Air temperature
Precipitation
Relative Humidity
Wind speed and direction
Short Wave Solar Radiation

Sample Storage

Freezer -70°C 25 cu. ft.
Chest Freezer (Household type) 0°F
Freezer -20°C
Freezer -70°C 3.2 cu. ft. ea.
Refrigerator 8.6 cu. ft.


Storage Notes: Do you have a liquid nitrogen generator?

Navigation

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

Will you be using Doppler/GPS navigation? no

Navigation

GPS

Navigation Notes: WE will be chasing drifting traps, and will rely on Argos for that.

Winches

Other Portable Winch
CTD Winch with .322" Electro-mechanical wire
Hydro Winch with .25" hydro wire

Winch Notes: We will need two small deck mounted winches for use during net trap recovery and deployment.

Wire use and application

Other
Hydro Winch with .25" hydro wire
CTD Winch with .322" Electro-mechanical wire


Wire Notes: We will use the CTD winch for the Knorr's CTD. The hydro wire is need to deploy McLane pumps; there will be up to six of these and they weigh approx 80lbs in air and 60 lbs in water. The two small deck mounted winches will be used for net trap recovery and deployment. The net traps are very lightweight, about 100 lbs each in air, and 80 lbs in water. Including flotation, line and ballast, the whole rig is well under 500 lbs. We need two winches because it makes is much easier to cycle multiple floating net trap rigs.

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

Portable Vans

Isotope Van
Chemical Storage Van

Other Science Vans:

Other Science Vans:

Science Van 1
Type/size: 20 ft container for storage		Location: not sure yet
Water: none needed		Power:none needed

Specialized Deck Equipment

Mooring Deployment/Recovery Equipment Required: no	Type:
Cruise Specific Science Winch Required: yes	Type: Light winch, described above
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: yes	Identify: Everything we have will need to be on the Knorr cruise led by Bidle, which is 13 July to 16 July
Water: yes	Identify: We will need the ship's flow-through system. Also, LOTS of DI water.

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:

Radioactive Material

Radioiosotopes: yes

Additional Information

Is night time work anticipated on this cruise? yes

Specialized tech support (Seabeam, coring, other): 

Other required equipment and special needs:  We will needs lots of fume hood space. I'm not sure where or how big the Knorr's fume hood is, but we might want to think about making an additional fume hood (this will be needed on the Bidle cruise too).
Date Submitted: Dec 26, 2011 11:49 AM