HOT-187: Chief Scientist Report

Chief Scientist: F. SANTIAGO-MANDUJANO

             HOT-187 Chief Scientist's Cruise Report
                        R/V Kilo Moana
                      November 7-11, 2006

Cruise ID: KM0630
Departed:  November 7, 2006 at 0900 (HST)
Returned:  November 11, 2006 at 0730
Vessel:  R/V Kilo Moana
Operator:  University of Hawaii
Master of the Vessel: Captain Bryon Wilson
Chief Scientist: Fernando Santiago-Mandujano
OTG Electronics/Deck Operations Technicians: Dan Fitzgerald, Gabe Foreman

1.  SCIENTIFIC OBJECTIVES

 The objective of this cruise was to maintain a collection of
hydrographic and biogeochemical data at the Hawaii Ocean Time-series
(HOT) stations. Five stations were to be occupied during the cruise,
in the following order:

1) Station 1, referred to as Station Kahe, is located at 21 20.6'N,
158 16.4'W and was to be occupied on November 7 for about 2 hours.

2) Station 2: ALOHA (A Long Term Oligotrophic Habitat Assessment) is 
defined as a circle with a 6 nautical mile radius centered at 22 45'N, 
158W. This is the main HOT Station and was to be occupied for 3 days 
from November 8 to 10.

3) Station 51, is the site of the MOSEAN Mooring, located at 22 45'N, 
158 6' W was to be occupied on November 10 for about 30 minutes.

4) Station 50, is the site of the WHOTS Mooring, located at  22 46.1' N, 
157 53.4' W was to be occupied on November 10 for about 30 minutes.

5) Station 6, referred to as Station Kaena, is located off Kaena Point
at 21 50.8'N, 158 21.8'W was to be occupied on the 4th day of the cruise
for about 2 hours.

 A single CTD cast was to be conducted at Station 1 to collect
continuous profiles of various physical and chemical parameters. Water
samples were to be collected at discrete depths for biogeochemical
measurements. After these operations, the ship was to transit to
Station ALOHA.

 Upon arrival at Station ALOHA, the free-drifting sediment trap array
was to be deployed. The sediment trap array was to stay in the water
for about 52 hours. This was followed by two 200 m CTD casts
to collect water for incubation experiments.  After this, an array with
incubation experiments (gas array) was to be deployed for 24 hours.  A
full-depth CTD cast was to be conducted afterwards, followed by 1000-m
CTD casts at strict 3 hour intervals for at least 36 hours for
continuous and discrete data collection, ending with another full-depth
CTD cast.

 One free-drifting array was to be deployed for 12 hours for incubation 
experiments on November 9. 

 A plankton net was to be towed near noon and midnight for 30-min intervals
on November 8 and 9 at Station ALOHA.

 After CTD work at Station ALOHA was accomplished, the ship was to
transit to recover the floating sediment trap array. 

 After recovering the sediment traps, the ship was to transit to Sta. 51
to conduct a 200-m CTD cast, and then back to Station ALOHA to conduct
one more 1000-m CTD cast, and light casts (PRR, AC9/FRRf). After this
the ship was to transit to Sta. 50 to conduct a 200-m CTD cast.

 After operations at station ALOHA ended, the ship was to transit to
Station 6 (Kaena).  

 A near-bottom CTD cast (~2500 m) was to be conducted at Station 6
including salinity samples for calibration, after which the ship was 
to transit to back to Snug Harbor.

 A Profiling Reflectance Radiometer (PRR) was to be deployed for half-hour
periods near noon time on November 7, 9 and 10.

 A package including a Wet Labs AC9, a Chelsea Fast Repetition Rate
Fluorometer (FRRf), and a SeaBird Seacat was to be used to profile the
upper 200 m at Sta. ALOHA at noon time on November 9 and 10, and
in the early morning on November 10.

 The following instruments were to collect data throughout the cruise: 
shipboard ADCP, thermosalinograph, and two anemometers.


2.  	SCIENCE PERSONNEL

BEACH group:

 Cruise Participant		 Title				Affiliation

 Karin Björkman			 Research Specialist		UH
 Tracy Campbell			 Graduate Student		UH
 Susan Curless	(Watch Leader)	 Research Associate		UH
 Ken Doggett			 Research Associate		UH
 Lance Fujieki	 		 Computer Specialist          	UH
 Eric Grabowski			 Research Associate		UH
 Adriana Harlan		  	 Technician			UH
 Katherine Mackey		 Graduate Student	  Stanford
 Dan Sadler  (Watch Leader)	 Research Associate 		UH
 Blake Watkins			 Marine Engineer		UH
 Doug White			 Technician			UH

PO group:

 Paul Lethaby			 Research Associate		UH
 Fernando Santiago-Mandujano	 Chief Scientist (Res. Assoc.)	UH
 Jefrey Snyder			 Marine Technician		UH
 John Yeh			 Graduate Student		UH

Others:

 Jingchuan Zhou			 Scientist			UH

3.  GENERAL SUMMARY

 Operations during the cruise were conducted as planned. 
 
 One 1000-m CTD cast was conducted at Kahe station.  Twelve 1000-m CTD
casts, two deep casts, and two 200-m CTD casts were conducted 
at Station ALOHA. One 200-m cast was conducted near the MOSEAN mooring 
(station 51), and one 200-m cast was conducted near the WHOTS mooring 
(station 50). One 2400-m CTD cast was conducted at Station Kaena.

 The array of floating sediment traps, the gas array, and the primary
productivity incubation array were deployed and recovered without
incidents. The arrays drifted SW.

 Three net tows were conducted at night and three during the day.

 The AC9/FRRf was deployed at noon three times, and one time at night.

 The PRR was deployed three times at noon time.

 The ADCP ran without interruption throughout the cruise, as well as the
thermosalinograph, and the ship's two anemometers. 

 Winds were easterlies between 15 and 20 kt during the first days of
the cruise, turning southeasterlies at 15-20 kt the last day.

 John Yeh triangulated the location of his benthic camera near
Kaena Station the last day of the cruise.

 We arrived back at Snug Harbor on November 11 at 0730. 


4.  R/V KILO MOANA, OFFICERS AND CREW, TECHNICAL SUPPORT

 The R/V Kilo Moana continues to maintain the excellent ship
support for our work. The officers and crew were most helpful and
accommodating.  They showed enthusiasm and concern for our work and
were very flexible in receiving changes in our operational schedule.

 Technical support during this cruise was excellent. OTG personnel were
available at any time to assist in our work and made things much easier
for us.

5.  DAILY REPORT OF ACTIVITIES (HST)

November 6, 2006; Loading Day

 Equipment loaded during this day, and the CTD system was tested.
Container vans were loaded on October 31.  

November 7, 2006

 The ship departed from Snug harbor at 0900.  Safety briefing by the
Captain conducted at 0945, followed by a science meeting in which
cruise activities were briefly reviewed, and safety issues were
addressed.

 Fire and abandon ship drills conducted at 1015.

 Arrived at Kahe Station at 1150. CTD wire weight cast (400 lb) to 500
m, during which J. Snyder inspected the CTD wire. 

 The Profiling Reflectance Radiometer (PRR) was deployed at 1230

 A 1020-m CTD cast was conducted at 1300. After the cast ended, the ship
headed to station ALOHA. 

 The ship arrived to Station ALOHA at 2235. The sediment traps array was
deployed at 2327. 


November 8, 2006

 One 200-m CTD cast was conducted at 0009 after the sediment traps
deployment. One 200-m was conducted before the gas array deployment.

 The gas array was deployed at 0400.

 One deep CTD cast was conducted at 0454. The altimeter signal was 
intermittent near the bottom.
 
 Four 1000-m CTD casts were conducted this day. The ISUS was installed
in the rosette and connected to the CTD before these casts, and it
worked properly.

 One net tow was conducted near noon, and one at night.

 Easterlies at 15-20 kt.

November 9, 2006

 Eight 1000-m CTD casts were conducted on this day, and the 36-hr CTD
burst period ended with a second deep cast that started at 2300.

 The gas array was recovered at 0720, at 22 36.9'N, 158 5.5'W, about
8 nm SW from ALOHA Station. 

 The primary productivity array was deployed at 0550, and recovered 
at 1900. The array drifted about 3 nm SW from the center of ALOHA to 
22 42.4'N, 158 1.8'W. 

 One AC9/FRRf cast was conducted at noon time.

 One PRR cast was conducted at noon time.

 Two net tows were conducted near noon, and two at night.

 Easterly winds at 20 kts. 

November 10, 2006

 One 200-m CTD casts were conducted near the MOSEAN mooring (Station 51), 
and one 200-m CTD cast near the WHOTS mooring (Station 50).

 The sediment traps array was recovered at 0645 at 22 32.3'N, 158 10.5'W. 
The array drifted SW about 16 nm from ALOHA Station.

 One PRR cast was conducted at 1230.

 One AC9/FRRf cast was conducted at 0400, and two more
near noon time at Station ALOHA.

 One near-bottom cast was conducted at Station Kaena (Sta 6).

 John Yeh triangulated the location of his benthic camera lost
during the HOT-181 cruise.

 Winds from the southeast at 15-20 kt. Rainfall was observed near
the MOSEAN mooring in the morning.

November 11, 2006

 Arrived at Snug Harbor at 0730. Full off-load.

HOT program sub-components:

Investigator:                   Project/Institution:
-----------------               --------------------
Dave Karl			Core Biogeochemistry/UH
Roger Lukas			Hydrography/UH
Bob Bidigare                    HPLC pigments/UH
Mike Landry			Zooplankton dynamics/UH
Mark Abbott/Ricardo Letelier    Optical measurements/OSU

Ancillary programs:

Investigator:                   Project/Institution:
-----------------               --------------------
Charles Keeling                 CO2 dynamics and intercalibration/SIO
Paul Quay			DI13C and O isotopes/UW
Penny Chisholm			Prochlorococcus population dynamics/MIT
Zehr/Church/Montoya		Diversity and activities of nitrogen-fixing
				microorganisms/UH
				
Ancillary research during this cruise:

Investigator:                   Project/Institution:
-----------------               --------------------
Katherine Mackey/Adina Paytan	Fluorescence characteristics of marine 
				picocyanobacteria under oxic and anoxic
				conditions/Stanford University
				
Jingchuan Zhou/Antony Clarke	Sea-salt Aerosol Fluxes from Breaking Waves 
				and Bursting Bubbles/UH