CalCOFI 1609SR (UNOLS SR1606) Science Verification "Shakedown" Cruise Prospectus

Platform: R/V Sally Ride
UNOLS Project Number: SR1606
CalCOFI Project Number: 1609SR
Project Title: CalCOFI Scientific Verification Cruise (CalCOFI SVC)
Project Dates: Sept 28 2016 to Sept 30 2016 30 Sep - 02 Oct 2016
Station Plan: Tentative Station Schedule (operations west of San Clemente Island required we work nearshore)
Prepared by: James R Wilkinson, Chief Scientist; abridged standard CalCOFI cruise instructions
Dated: Aug 29, 2016  28 Sep 2016
Please note that these instructions are subject to change and amendment as goals for this cruise are still being discussed.

I. Overview

  1. Brief Summary and Project Period:  Conduct station operations on CalCOFI Line 93 out to station 93.50 and verify the logistics required to successfully deploy all equipment that will be used on CalCOFI 1611SR. CalCOFI cruises typically survey the distributions and abundances of pelagic fish stocks, their prey, and their biotic and abiotic environments in the area of the California Current between San Diego, California and Avila Beach, California.
  2. Operating Area:  From station 93.3 26.7 off Del Mar, CA to station 93.50, possibly 93.55 ~110-130nm WSW.
  3. Summary of Objectives: Test the R/V Sally Ride infrastructure and capabilities to perform all aspects of work conducted on CalCOFI surveys.
    1. Acoustics - continuously sample multi-frequency acoustic backscatter using the Simrad EK80. The data is typically used to estimate the distributions and abundances of coastal pelagic fishes (e.g., sardine, anchovy, and mackerel), and krill species.
    2. ADCP - continuously collect ADCP data, synced with EK80 acoustics for current structure down to ~500m
    3. MET or equivalent underway integrated data logging system
      1. Continuously sample sea-surface temperature, salinity, and chlorophyll-a using a thermosalinometer. These data are used to estimate the physical oceanographic habitats for target species.
      2. Continuously sample air temperature, barometric pressure, and wind speed and direction using an integrated weather station.
    4. CTD-Rosette casts at 9 stations - on the CTD conductive wire winch, sample profiles of seawater temperature, salinity, chlorophyll-a, nutrients, and phytoplankton using a CTD with water-sampling rosette and other instruments at prescribed stations. Measurements of extracted chlorophyll and phaeophytin will be obtained with a fluorometer. Nutrients samples may be collected and frozen for analysis ashore.
    5. Secchi disc - on the second/net winch, sample the light intensity in the photic zone using a standard secchi disk once per day in conjunction with a daytime CTD station. These data will be used on CalCOFI 1611SR to interpret the measurements of primary production.
    6. Pairovet Vertical Net Tow - on the second/net winch, sample the vertically integrated abundance of fish eggs using a Pairovet net at prescribed stations. These data will be used to quantify the abundances and distributions of fish eggs.
    7. Manta Neuston Tow - on the second/net winch,sample plankton using a Manta (neuston) net at prescribed stations. These data are used to estimate the distributions and abundances of ichthyoplankton species.
    8. Bongo Net Tow - on the second/net winch,sample plankton using a CalBOBL (CalCOFI Bongo Oblique) at prescribed stations. These data are used to estimate the distributions and abundances of ichthyoplankton and zooplankton species.
    9. LTER-Optional - PRPOOS Vertical Net Tow - on the second/net winch, sample plankton using a PRPOOS (Planktonic Rate Processes in Oligotrophic Ocean Systems net) at all prescribed CalCOFI stations on lines 90.0. These data will be used in analyses by the LTER (Long Term Ecological Research) project.
    10. pCO2 Continuous Underway Flow-through System - a self-contained pCO2/pH instrument will be mounted in the wet lab near an uncontaminated seawater source. These data are used to measure sea surface pCO2 and pH continuously during the cruise.
    11. Marine Mammal Acoustics Array and Visual Operations - during daylight hours transits between station, a hydrophone is towed from an aft winch, typically brought by the Marine Mammal Acoustics Group (from SIO winch pool). Additionally, continuous visual observations of seabirds and mammals are conducted for the flying bridge or bridge wings. These data are used to estimate the distributions and abundances of seabirds and marine mammals.
    12. CANCELLED - Zooglider 'sail-by' calibration station: Dr. Mark Ohman requests 3 bongo tows with a 202-µm mesh net taken in the vicinity of the Zooglider, plus a CTD cast to 500 m with a few Chl-a samples, and EK80 data around the Zooglider
  4. Participating Institutions
    1. I.D.1 Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC)
    2. I.D.2 Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO)
  5. Administrative
    1. Points of Contacts:
      1. Chief Scientist: James R Wilkinson (858-822-0674); 9500 Gilman Dr, MC 0206, La Jolla, CA 92039-0206; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
      2. Alternate Point-of-Contact: Jennifer Rodgers-Wolgast (858-534-2888); This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
      3. RV Sally Ride at-sea phone: 870773153565 or 870773409221; radio: monitors VHF 13 & 16;

II. Operations

  1. Project Itinerary
    1. 26 - 27 Sep 2016 - Load and setup R/V Sally Ride
    2. 28 - 30 Sep 2016 - science verification cruise aka CalCOFI 1609SR
    3. 30 Sep 2016 - offload R/V Sally Ride.
  2. Detailed Operations to be Tested (some descriptions are related to standard CalCOFI cruise operations and may be dropped for the SVC)
    1. Underway Operations
      1. Thermosalinometer sampling - R/V Sally Ride will provide and maintain a thermosalinometer (TSG), which is calibrated and in working order, for continuous measurement of surface water temperature and salinity.
      2. Uncontaminated seawater in the wet lab, with adequate flow, will be provided, used continuously by CalCOFI's pCO2/pH instrument.
      3. Acoustics: Calibration of the Simrad EK80 echosounders is typically performed at the beginning of the cruise. Throughout the cruise, the EK80 echosounders will be operated at 38, 70, 120 and 200 kHz and interfaced to a data acquisition system to estimate small pelagic fish and krill biomasses between 10 and 750 m. An EK80 Adaptive Logging program (EAL) will be run continuously to detect the seabed depth and optimize the logging range while avoiding aliased seabed echoes (“false bottoms”). The vessel's depth sounder and Doppler current meter may be used minimally at the discretion of the Captain, but will normally remain off while underway. During daytime transit between stations, the ship will maintain a desired speed of 10 knots. The ship shall inform the Cruise Leader of any use of the vessel's sounders, as it interferes with the signals received on the EK80s that will be used continuously.
      4. Not scheduled - Bird Observations: During daylight hours a bird observer will be posted on the flying bridge to identify and count birds while the ship is underway during cruise transects.
      5. Acoustic hydrophone: During transit between most daylight stations, an acoustic hydrophone array will be towed from the stern at a distance of 300 meters with a deck loaded winch to record sounds from marine mammals. The winch is 440V 3-phase with a deck pattern of 4.5 by 4.5 feet. Upon approaching a station, two sonobuoys will be deployed one nautical mile prior to stopping for station work.
    2. Station Operations: Each standard station will include the following:
      1. CTD/Rosette consisting of 24 10-liter hydrographic bottles will be lowered to approximately 500 meters (depth permitting) at each station to measure physical parameters and collect water at discrete depths for analysis of: salinity, nutrients, oxygen, chlorophyll, etc.
      2. Pairovet net: will be fished from 70 meters to the surface (depth permitting) using paired 25 cm diameter 150 µm mesh nets at all stations out to and including station 70.0. The technical requirements for Pairovet tows are: Descent rate of 70 meters per minute, a terminal depth time of 10 seconds and an ascent rate of 70 meters per minute. Typically on CalCOFI cruises, all tows with wire angles exceeding 15° during the ascent will be repeated.
      3. LTER-optional (may not happen on SVC): PRPOOS (Planktonic Rate Processes in Oligotrophic Ocean Systems) net will be taken on specific stations on line 90.0, 86.7, 83.3, and 80.0. These stations are occupied as part of the LTER (Long Term Ecological Research) project. The mesh of the PRPOOS net is 202 µm and the tow is a vertical cast up from 210 meters. The technical requirements for the PRPOOS tows are: Decent rate of 40 meters per minute, a terminal depth time of 20 seconds and an ascent rate of 50 meters per minute.
      4. Manta net (neuston) tow: using a 505 µm mesh net on a frame with a mouth area of 0.1333 m². Tows are 15 minutes in duration at towing speed of approximately 1.5 - 2.0 knots. Wire angles should be kept between 15° and 25°.
      5. CalBOBL (CalCOFI Bongo Oblique): standard oblique plankton tow with 300 meters of wire out, depth permitting, using paired 505 µm mesh nets with 71 cm diameter openings. The technical requirements for this tow are: Descent wire rate of 50 meters per minute and an ascent wire rate of 20 meters per minute. All tows with ascending wire angles lower than 38° or higher than 51° in the final 100 meters of wire will be repeated. Additionally, a 45° wire angle should be closely maintained during the ascent and descent of the net frame. The port side sample will be preserved in buffered ethanol at every station.
      6. A light meter (Secchi disk) will be used to measure the light intensity in the euphotic zone once a day with the primary productivity cast and all daytime stations.
      7. Weather observations are typically logged at the beginning of each station.
    3. Order of Operations for each standard station:
      1. CTD to 515 meters with 24 bottle rosette (depth permitting).
      2. Secchi disk (daylight stations only, Secchi will be first prior to CTD on Primary Productivity station of the day which is typically 0900-1100).
      3. LTER-optional: PRPOOS net tow (lines 90.0, 86.7, 83.3 and 80.0 only).
      4. Pairovet net tow (on all lines out to station 70.0 but not to include near shore SCCOOS).
      5. Manta net tow (on all stations except for near shore SCCOOS and stations after line 76.7).
      6. Bongo net tow (on all stations).
    1. We will have observers on the bow observation deck during all daylight transects.
      • We will have 2 - 3 marine mammal observers on the bow-bridge during all daylight transects.
      • We may have a marine mammal acoustician with a towed hydrophone. The hydrophone will be towed off the stern at a distance of 300 meters between daylight stations. The hydrophone will be deployed at a ship speed of 5 knots while leaving a station. Once deployed, ship can travel at full speed. The hydrophone can be retrieved at ship’s full speed.
      • At 1 mile prior to each daylight station marine mammal observers may deploy 2 sonobuoys. The hydrophone will be retrieved at this time.
      • Communication will be open to bridge during all hydrophone deployments and retrievals.
      • We may have a bird observer on the flying bridge during all daylight transects.
  3. Conditions which preclude normal operations: In the event of poor weather conditions, we will work with the ship’s officers on developing the best strategy for completion of all stations safely. We have replacement gear for most operations. Scientific equipment failure should not impact our project. Prior to departure, the Chief Scientist will conduct a meeting of the scientific party to train them in sample collection and inform them of project objectives. Some vessel protocols, e.g., meals, watches, etiquette, etc. will be presented by the ship’s Operations Officer.