Area of Operations: Georges Bank, United States, North America, North Atlantic
Dates: May 10, 1982 to May 18, 1982
Chief scientist: Rick Rendigs
George Hampson - WHOI
Objectives: Cruise was the fourth in a series of seasonal benthic sampling cruises performed as part of the Georges Bank Lease Sale No. 42 Environmental Monitoring Program. Emphasis is to determine the extent of deposition and accumulation of potentially toxic materials due to oil drilling activities and subsequent effects on benthic biota.
Type of Activity: Sampling; Camera recording;Camera recording
Information to be derived: Samples and chemical analysis; Grain size analysis;
Summary: Sediment samples were collected for analysis of benthic infauna and epifauna, trace metal and hydrocarbon analysis, CHN, and sediment grain-size analyses (75); and camera stations were occupied to record microtopography and visible macrofauna. Poor weather conditions at the start of the cruise precluded doing camera work at Stations 14, 15, 1, 2, 3, 16, 17, and 18 when these stations were first occupied. Later in the cruise, when all regional stations except 13 and 13A had been completed and almost all of the secondary site-specific stations were completed, the decision was made to return to Stations 1, 2, 3, 16, 17, and 18 for camera work. When that had been accomplished, both fuel and freshwater supplies were very low and it was necessary to return to Woods Hole without camera work at Stations 14 and 15. Secondary Stations 5-15 and 5-17 were not occupied and Station 5-13 was only partly completed. The majority of samples collected were 0.1 m sq. and 0.04 m sq. Van Veen grab samples for biological and/or chemical analyses. At each regional station, six 0.1 m sq. and six 0.04 m sq. biology grab samples and three 0.1 m sq. geology/chemistry grab samples are required. Bottom water samples for dissolved oxygen and salinity, surface water samples for salinity, and XBT casts were made at each regional station. Epibenthic trawls were made at Regional Stations 7, 10, and 13, and Site Specific Stations 5-1, 5-18, and 5-28. Trawls were made using either an epibenthic sled or otter trawl. All biological samples, CHN, DO, salinity, XBT data and film footage are curated at Battelle; sediment grain size samples at WHOI; and chemistry samples at the USGS-Woods Hole (trace metal samples) and SAI-La Jolla, CA (hydrocarbon samples).
Contact: Rick Rendigs (email@example.com)
InfoBank: uses the identifier H-1-82-GK. Visit this site for more information.