2022 DFO Maritimes an Newfoundland AZMP

Ship

Cruise Party

Departure: Mar 16, 2022

Arrival: Mar 17, 2022

Operations Area

Science Objectives

This mission involves the collection of physical, biological and chemical oceanographic data onboard oceanographic surveys conducted in 3 different geographic regions: Gulf of Maine and Scotian Shelf and Slope (Maritimes Region AZMP, AZOMP), Newfoundland and Labrador Shelf (Newfoundland and Labrador Region AZMP), and in the Labrador Sea from the Labrador Shelf, Canada to Cape Desolation on the Greenland shelf (AZOMP). Through the collection of an array of physical, chemical, and biological oceanographic data, this mission aims to:

1. Characterize and understand the causes of oceanic variability at the seasonal, inter-annual and decadal scales across the northwest Atlantic.
2. Provide multidisciplinary datasets that can be used to establish relationships among biological, chemical and physical oceanographic variables.
3. Provide quality data for the validation of oceanographic model outputs and calibration of remote-sensed observations from gliders, Argo floats, and satellite imagery.
4. Provide quality data to support sound decision-making on key government priorities such as climate change, marine protected areas, species at risk and fisheries resource management.
5. Recover and re-deploy oceanographic moorings placed in areas to study ocean properties along with movements of marine mammals (NL AZMP).
6. Recover oceanographic moorings located at 53 degrees North in support of the Overturning in the Subpolar North Atlantic Program (OSNAP), an international effort involving both DFO and WHOI scientists to quantify the subpolar AMOC and its intra-seasonal to inter-annual variability via overturning metrics, including associated fluxes of heat and freshwater (AZOMP).

Science Activities

This field work involves the deployment of various tethered and non-tethered oceanographic equipment for the collection of physical, chemical, and biological oceanographic data. Specific objectives of the field work that will be conducted on each of the 3 legs of this mission includes:

Leg 1 – MAR AZMP: Embark: Halifax, Nova Scotia. Disembark: Sydney, Nova Scotia

1)      CTD/Rosette deployments for the collection of vertical profiles of pressure, temperature, conductivity/salinity, dissolved oxygen, fluorescence (chlorophyll), colored dissolved organic matter fluorescence (CDOM), turbidity, pH, and photosynthetic active radiation (PAR). Surface PAR will also be collected.

Water samples will be collected at standard depths for measurements of nutrients, salinity, dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll, carbonate chemistry (total alkalinity, total inorganic carbon, pCO2, pH), particulate organic carbon/nitrogen and HPLC. 

2)      Vertical ring net tows for the collection of zooplankton samples

3)      2 Argo float deployments

4)      Use of the vessel-mounted Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) for measurement of ocean currents

5)      Collection of continuous surface TSG and carbonate chemistry (pH, total alkalinity, pCO2) measurements using the ship’s underway system, including phytoplankton imaging with a IFCB provided by WHOI

6)      Use of the vessel’s multibeam system

Leg 2 – NL AZMP: Embark: St. John’s, Newfoundland. Disembark:  St. John’s, Newfoundland

1)      CTD/Rosette deployments for the collection of vertical profiles of pressure, temperature, conductivity/salinity, dissolved oxygen, fluorescence (chlorophyll), colored dissolved organic matter fluorescence (CDOM), turbidity, pH, and photosynthetic active radiation (PAR). Surface PAR will also be collected.

Water samples will be collected at standard depths for measurements of nutrients, salinity, dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll, carbonate chemistry (total alkalinity, total inorganic carbon, pCO2, pH), particulate organic carbon/nitrogen and HPLC.

2)      Vertical ring net tows for the collection of zooplankton samples

3)      3 Argo float deployments

4)      Use of the vessel-mounted Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) for measurement of ocean currents

5)      Collection of continuous surface TSG and carbonate chemistry (pH, total alkalinity, pCO2) measurements using the ship’s underway system, including phytoplankton imaging with a IFCB provided by WHOI.

6)      Use of the vessel’s multibeam system

7)      4 mooring recoveries (including 1 drag)

8)      3 mooring deployments

9)      Recovery (drag) of a lost CTD/Rosette

10)   1 oceanographic Viking Buoy deployment

11)   15 surface drifter deployments

12) Deployment of XBT probes for the collection of temperature-depth profiles along repositioning lines

Leg 3 – AZOMP: Embark: St. John’s, Newfoundland. Disembark: Halifax, Nova Scotia

1)      CTD/Rosette deployments for the collection of vertical profiles of pressure, temperature, conductivity/salinity, dissolved oxygen, fluorescence (chlorophyll), colored dissolved organic matter fluorescence (CDOM), turbidity, pH, and photosynthetic active radiation (PAR). Surface PAR will also be collected.

Water samples will be collected at standard depths for measurements of nutrients, salinity, dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll, carbonate chemistry (total alkalinity, total inorganic carbon, pCO2, pH), particulate organic carbon/nitrogen and HPLC. Water samples will also be collected for the analysis of transient gases for water mass and tracer for the determination for ventilation and carbon sequestration studies.

2)      Collection of current velocities using CTD-mounted LADCP

3)      Vertical ring net tows for the collection of zooplankton samples

4)      12 Argo float deployments

5)      Use of the vessel-mounted Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) for measurement of ocean currents

6)      Collection of continuous surface TSG and carbonate chemistry (pH, total alkalinity, pCO2) measurements using the ship’s underway system, including phytoplankton imaging with a IFCB provided by WHOI

7)      Use of the vessel’s multibeam system

8)      Deployment of XBT probes for the collection of temperature-depth profiles along repositioning lines

9)      7 mooring recoveries

10)   6 mooring deployments

11)   Attempted recovery of C3 releaser and floats in Labrador Sea

On all 3 legs, observations of seabird and marine mammal distributions may be collected as part of Environment and Climate Change Canada’s seabird observation program.

Additional Info

Stations:

Supporting documentation:

Shipboard Equipment

Shipboard Communication

CTD/Water Sampling

Critical CTD Sensors

CTD-Related Equipment

MET Sensors

Sample Storage

Navigation

Navigation

Winches

Wire use and application

Standard Oceanographic Cables

Specialized Deck Equipment

Over the Side Equipment

Special Requirements

Additional Cruise Items/Activities

Hazardous Material

Radioactive Material

Additional Information

• Use of the ship's 300 KHz ADCP is also requested.
• While in the Gully Marine Protected Area, the vessel is requested to maintain distance gaps and speeds less than 10 knots, in compliance with Fisheries and Oceans Canada's Marine Mammal Regulations: https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/PDF/SOR-93-56.pdf (see section 38) 
• A IFCB flowcam will be provided by a WHOI scientist. This will have to be plumbed into the existing underway system.
• Additional science container(s) may be loaded in Halifax, NS, depending on the location and placement of the UNOLS RadVan.

Checklist

Checklist