This cruise represents the initial infrastructure deployment for the Pioneer Array of the National Science Foundation’s Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI). The Pioneer Array will include a network of moorings and autonomous robotic vehicles to monitor waters of the continental shelf and slope south of New England and, in particular, the shelfbreak front where nutrients and other properties are exchanged between the coast and the deep ocean. Data from the Pioneer Array will provide new insights into coastal ocean processes such as shelf/slope nutrient exchange, air-sea property exchange, carbon cycling, and ocean acidification that are important to the New England shelf, and to continental shelf ecosystems around the world. For further information, see http://www.oceanobservatories.org.

The Pioneer Phase I cruise (Pioneer I) has 4 main objectives and 3 ancillary objectives. The main objectives are: 1) Deploy an OOI Coastal Surface Mooring (CSM) and validate its operation, 2) Deploy five OOI Coastal Profiler Moorings (CPMs) and validate their operation, 3) Deploy 6 OOI Coastal Gliders and validate their operation, 4) Perform field verification activities, including a meteorological intercomparison at the CSM site and CTD casts with water sampling at mooring sites and glider deployment sites. The ancillary objectives are a) Seabeam surveys of the mooring sites and of the Pioneer moored array region in general, b) Tests of an OOI anchor frame and release system and c) Cross-shelf and along-shelf surveys in the vicinity of the moored array using the shipboard ADCPs.

The Pioneer Phase I cruise (Pioneer I) has 4 main objectives and 3 ancillary objectives. The main objectives are: 1) Deploy an OOI Coastal Surface Mooring (CSM) and validate its operation, 2) Deploy 2 OOI Coastal Profiler Moorings (CPMs) and validate their operation, 3) Perform field verification activities, including a meteorological intercomparison at the CSM site and CTD casts with water sampling at mooring sites. The ancillary objectives are a) Seabeam surveys of the mooring sites and of the Pioneer moored array region in general, b) Cross-shelf and along-shelf surveys in the vicinity of the moored array using the shipboard ADCPs.

The Pioneer Phase I cruise (Pioneer I) has 4 main objectives and 3 ancillary objectives. The main objectives are: 1) Deploy an OOI Coastal Surface Mooring (CSM) and validate its operation, 2) Deploy five OOI Coastal Profiler Moorings (CPMs) and validate their operation, 3) Deploy 6 OOI Coastal Gliders and validate their operation, 4) Perform field verification activities, including a meteorological intercomparison at the CSM site and CTD casts with water sampling at mooring sites and glider deployment sites. The ancillary objectives are a) Seabeam surveys of the mooring sites and of the Pioneer moored array region in general, b) Tests of an OOI anchor frame and release system and c) Cross-shelf and along-shelf surveys in the vicinity of the moored array using the shipboard ADCPs.