BUSCADOR RECOLECTA

CANOA-08_NORTE Cruise (29GD20080518) carried out on the Research Vessel García del Cid in 2008, The NORTH campaign was carried out in May 2008 (CANOA08-NORTH) on the northern portion of the Gulf of Cádiz. The objective of the campaign was to study the intrusion of Mediterranean waters in the Gulf of Cádiz, with special emphasis on the structure of a Meddy detected in the area using altimetric data. This campaign used a Lowered Acoustic Doppler Profiler (ADCP) and a microstructure profiler (Turbomap) to study the currents and turbulence associated with the Meddy and in one of the submarine canyons south of the Iberian Peninsula

MPOCAT-2 Cruise (29GD20080604) carried out on the Research Vessel García del Cid in 2008, The main objective of the MPOCAT surveys was to assess the biomass of anchovy using the information from egg abundance samples according to DEPM( Daily Egg Production Method) . The area covered included all of the principal anchovy spawning grounds in the NW Mediterranean (GoL and Catalan Sea, and were performed during the peak spawning period (June) of this species.Vertical hauls were carried out using a 1-m mouth diameter net with a 150-m mesh size at a maximum depth of 50 m.Anchovy eggs and their stages were identified with a stereoscopic microscope

SEDMET-IV Cruise (29GD20080619) carried out on the Research Vessel García del Cid in 2008, The equipment was recovered and the bottom sediment sampling and the hydrographic profiles were performed to characterize the area at the end of the spring season which corresponded to the end of the study period.The proposed research project consists in the study of the sediments and associated heavy metals dynamics, and very specially in determining the effect that the floods and storms exert on them, in a coastal system affected by industrial and urban activities. The coastal system of Besòs is one of the most polluted areas known and presents a complex situation with different sources of pollution (river, outfall, collectors, pluvial) and with an important historical contamination (since the beginning of the 20th century) from some of the these sources, which now also constitutes a contaminating source in itself. Although the presence of high levels of contamination in the prodeltaic sediments of the Besòs River is well known, studies of the dynamic processes that affect them and their repercussions have still not been carried out. To advance in the knowledge of this subject, the present project foresees to register during the season of floods and storms temporary series of currents, temperature and salinity, concentration of sediment in suspension and vertical flows of particles through the anchoring of instrumented oceanographic tripods, as well as the periodic realization of hydrographic profiles and of sampling of matter in suspension and sediments. At the same time, it is proposed to monitor the surface plumes of river and stormwater discharges by means of time series of video images acquired by an Argus system, and water and particulate samples and to take sedimentary cores to study the recent evolution of the deposit and make measurements of the critical resuspension conditions. With all this, we intend to 1) characterize the discharges of solids and associated heavy metals and nutrients from the Besòs River and the pluvial waters of the Barcelona seafront and determine in which situations they occur. 2). Study the transport processes, and the resuspension processes that affect the contaminated sedimentary deposit. 3). Determine the critical conditions under which the erosion and remobilization of current and historical contaminated sediments occurs. 4). Quantify the associated sedimentary and heavy metal flows. 5). Determine if the corrective measures applied in the Besòs basin are contributing to reduce historical pollution levels in the marine system. 6) Characterize situations of maximum risk that can contribute to establishing actions to forecast and prevent adverse conditions for the development of activities in the coastal zone. All this, placing special emphasis during events of storms, fluvial avenues and heavy rains. The knowledge of this dynamic has an application for the definition of potential environmental risks that affect the coastal system, and can contribute to improve environmental management within the scope of the European Community Water Framework Directive.The concrete activities. Instrumented tripods. 2 tripods will be installed. The main tripod will have a coherent pulse Doppler profiler (PCADP) and an acoustic profiler to measure the suspended sediment (ABS). An RCM9 correntimeter will be added to the tripod with pressure sensors, turbulence, temperature and conductivity and a sequential sedimentary trap. The triopods will be installed at a depth of 30 meters, one in front of the mouth of the Besos River and the other in front of pluvial waters. The final position will be adjusted after making a reconnaissance bathymetric and bottom sediment. Hydrological stations. CTD / turbidity / fluorometry transects perpendicular to the continental shelf will be carried out. Samples of water will be taken with the rosette that will be filtered on board to obtain samples of matter in suspension. The water samples will also be used to analyze nutrients, chlorophyll and to account for phytoplankton. Sedimentary stations (dredge, HASP and Boxcores). The surface sediments will be sampled with the dredge where the hydrographic stations are made. Sediment core samples will be taken with HASP and Boxcore where the instrumented tripods will be installed. The sediment cores will be sub-sampled for later sedimentological and geochemical analysis (granulometry, radiographs, heavy metals, C, N, CaCO3, dating with Pb)

PERFILMED-I Cruise (29GD20080718) carried out on the Research Vessel García del Cid in 2008, In most of the plankton production models, space is not taken into consideration, as if the pelagic trophic relations took place in an evenly distributed universe. Food or predators are parametrised as average concentration values, although spatial heterogeneity and time variability (patchiness) at all scales is a constant characteristic for marine physical and chemical variables, as well as for plankton communities. The vertical structure of plankton in patches or layers has been described since long , but their effects on the coupling between the different trophic components and the oceanographic singularities that control the matter and energy transfer have been poorly studied. In order to allow us to explain some paradoxical features of consumers production under conditions of low average resource availability, in the Framework of the PERFIL-MED cruise we studied the time-changes on the vertical pattern distribution of meso- and microplankton in relation to physical heterogeneities during the summer stratification period. Profiles of physical (T, S), chemical (O ) and biological (fluorescence) data were made with a CTD SBE 911plus. The high-resolution vertical distribution of the rate of turbulent mechanical energy dissipation, epsilon, was obtained with a MST micro-structure profiler®. The vertical distribution of organisms ranging from 50 µm to 2 mm ESR was obtained with a TAPS® (high resolution acoustics, 6 frequency channels from 265 to 3000 KHz). For depthstratified plankton hauls (15-level, from 0 to 200 m depth) we used a LHPR® fitted with 200 and 50 µm-mesh gauzes, and the on-board analysis of microplankton was made with a FlowCam® on depth-selected water samples. All the profiles were obtained in the 0-200 m depth water column. The analysis of zooplankton biovolume, the organic C contents (from biovolume and a conversion factor), individual numbers and the identification of taxonomic groups, was made using the free software ZooImage® , which uses ImageJ® for the step of image analysis, and R for classification and data analysis

EVENT-SHELF Cruise (29GD20080906) carried out on the Research Vessel García del Cid in 2008, Integration of new technologies in paleosismology: General aims:Characterization of seismogenic and tsunamigenic faults in South Iberia.a) to characterize the seismic potential of the Eastern Betics Shear Zone; 2) to adapt the paleoseismological methodology to the analysis of slow moving faults,and 3) training young researchers in onshore-offshore paleoseismology. Specific works: To achieve the main objectives of the EVENT-SHELF cruise in the Eastern Betics Shear Zone (EBSZ) area, we carried out a geophysical exploration (swath bathymetry, acoustic backscatter and high-resolution single-channel sparker seismics) of the Adra/Carboneras, Palomares and Bajo Segura fault zones on the shelf areas. During the cruise we have adapted high resolution- low penetration geophysics to the paleoseismological analysis of the EBSZ fault terminations located on the continental shelf, often difficult to image with conventional low-resolution systems. Major destructive events occurred in some of the areas investigated during the cruise, such as the 1522 Almería (EMS IX Intensity), the 1829 Torrevieja (EMS X Intensity) and the 1910 Adra earthquakes (EMS VIII Intensity) (IGN, 2005). Most of the acquired profiles were oriented perpendicular to the fault orientation and other few profiles were acquired to explore the structure of deep-coral mounds in the Chella Bank [11]. Moreover, ROV and towed camera transects were carried out along some of the coral-mound to obtain visual groundtruthing of the acoustic data. Methods The following methodology was used during the EVENT-SHELF cruise: • High resolution seismics. During the EVENT-SHELF cruise we used a high-resolution single seismic system on board the B/O García del Cid able to acquire data with a 30 cm of resolution at 1.5 km depth. The source, a sparker GEO-SPARK 6kJ from GEO-RESOURCES BV (www.geo-resources.com), is specially designed to favour high frequencies . The receiver consisted on a 9 m long, 24 channel, streamer. Part of the data was processed on board with the specific software Geotrace supplied by the company. • Bathymetric survey. Simultaneously with the seismic survey, we acquired information regarding seafloor morphology (bathymetry and backscatter) with the double frequency (180-50 kHz) Elac Nautik SeaBeam 1050D available in the B/O García del Cid and managed by the Unidad de Tecnología Marina (UTM, CSIC). Only data with less than 350 m depth were acquired due to technical acquisition problems in the echo-sounder (50 kHz low frequency MB not functioning). • Visual groundtruthing. Visual inspections was carried out in the deep- coral mounds area of the Chella Bank. Video transects allowed to visualize and record seafloor images, helpful to calibrate backscatter and seismic data in areas where deep coral mounds occur, and to detect and recognize the benthic assemblages present in the seamounts of the Almería Margin. The remotely operated vehicle (ROV) SPY-ICM Mariscope (provided by ICM-CSIC) was used for the shallowest transects (100-200 m), whereas the deep towed video-camera DTS6000 Seatronics was used in the deepest mounds of the Chella Bank (200-400 m) • Sediment sampling. A 25 l Van Veen dredge was also deployed to collect sediment samples in a subaqueous dune field and in a coral rubble area identified in the Chella Bank

SESAME Cruise (29GD20080925) carried out on the Research Vessel García del Cid in 2008, Southern European Seas: Assessing and Modelling Ecosystem Changes (SESAME). to assess the current status of the Southern European Seas through an analysis of newly collected physical, chemical and biological data at basin scale for a better understanding and modeling of their pelagic system also in relation to global changes

PROMETEO-1 Cruise (29GD20080929) carried out on the Research Vessel García del Cid in 2008, Integrated Study of deep Canyons and Slopes of the Western MEDITERRANEAN: an essential habitat.To investigate the impact on the bathyal populations of meio-, macro- and megafauna, and in particular on the deep red shrimp Aristeus antennatus, of the events of massive transport of sediment and fresh organic matter towards the deep margin and basin associated to cold water cascading from the shelf, the implications of which have recently been described by Canals et al. (Nov. 2006) in Nature.The combination of abiotic and biotic factors make the canyons and deep slopes of the Western Mediterranean essential habitats in which occur well structured communities characterized by a clear faunal zonation and trophic web of low energetic level. This fragile equilibrium is highly vulnerable to anthropogenic and natural perturbations (Canal et al, 2006) focused by the submarine canyons.The investigated area has been the submarine Blanes Canyon.The sampling of benthic megafauna was carried out with both an Otter-Trawl Maireta System (OTMS) and an Agassiz trawl, over the same trawling lanes.Physical oceanographic data were obtained six mooring lines were deployed between 900 and 1500 m of water depth from November 2008 to November 2009 inside the Blanes Canyon and on the adjacent open slope to the south. Each mooring line was equipped with a Technicap PPS3/3 sequential sediment trap and an Aanderaa RCM-8/9 current meter placed 30 m above the bottom Temperature and salinity data were sampled using CTD SBE 911 casts performed over the mooring sites during the different oceanographic cruises

CASCADES-1 Cruise (29GD20081017) carried out on the Research Vessel García del Cid in 2008, Interaction between submarine cascades and deep ecosystems. CASCADES main objective is to study the processes of particle transport associated with the descent, in the form of underwater cascading , of dense waters formed in coastal environments, and at the same time, to evaluate in an interdisciplinary way the effects implications of this oceanographic phenomenon in ecosystems and deep living resources. To achieve this objective, it is necessary to record time series of oceanographic parameters in winter conditions (time when the underwater cascading) through the use of anchored instruments. This fact entails the need to request a minimum of two oceanographic campaigns (one to install the anchoring and another for its recovery). During the first days of the CASCADES 1 campaign operations will be carried out related to the anchoring of instruments to ensure the registration of parameters oceanographic,three hydrographic transects will be carried out a CTD probe following a direction parallel to the orientation of the canyon, on the flank north, on the axis and on the south flank, and two perpendicular to the canyon. The stations will be separated one nautical mile from each other to characterize the structure in detail hydrographic and nephelide in the head of the submarine canyon and in the continental slope adjacent.also sediment samples will be collected

DEEPCORAL-IV_CORAL-9 Cruise (29GD20090214) carried out on the Research Vessel García del Cid in 2009, Study of the communities of deep corals in the margin of the the mediterranean continental shelf.The main objective of the project is the study of the role of the communities of benthic suspensible organisms in the platform-slope areas in the processes of transfer of matter and energy, as important creators of habitat (three-dimensional structure), reservoirs of biological diversity and areas of protection and breeding ("nurseries") of numerous pelagic and nectonic species, some of them of commercial interest. The project is an integrated and multidisciplinary study of these communities in the north-western Mediterranean, with special emphasis on the headwaters of the submarine canyons. Knowledge of the specific composition of the communities, their distribution, both geographic and batimetric, their intra-interspecific and intra-occupational relationships and the environmental characteristics of the habitat are the first studies to be developed in the first phase of the project. Once these bases on diversity and structure have been established, a second phase of the project will be focused on the ecology (function) of these communities with the study of key species in the studied systems. Experimenting with living organisms (mainly cnidarians and sponges) will allow you to know different aspects of their ecology and the influence these communities have on the planktonic and benthonic system. Other important objectives of the project will be to analyze the influence of the benthic suspensible organisms on the microbial trophic chains of the layers of the water column closer to the bottom and the study of epibenthenic zooplankton communities. Knowledge of the dynamics of these communities will allow them to make a proper management plan for them, as well as, if necessary, the creation of reserve areas due to their importance as areas with high biodiversity, Commercial interest and role in the processes of transfer of matter and energy along the platform-slope axis. The project is carried out in collaboration with the company PRAESENTIS with the purpose of developing a new submarine vehicle prototype equipped with cameras of video and photography (EVO) and the Organization ADENA Spain (WWF) with which they are considering The strategies for conservation and dissemination of the state of seabed platforms in Mediterranean waters

PROMETEO-2 Cruise (29GD20090222) carried out on the Research Vessel García del Cid in 2009, Integrated Study of deep Canyons and Slopes of the Western MEDITERRANEAN: an essential habitat.To investigate the impact on the bathyal populations of meio-, macro- and megafauna, and in particular on the deep red shrimp Aristeus antennatus, of the events of massive transport of sediment and fresh organic matter towards the deep margin and basin associated to cold water cascading from the shelf, the implications of which have recently been described by Canals et al. (Nov. 2006) in Nature.The combination of abiotic and biotic factors make the canyons and deep slopes of the Western Mediterranean essential habitats in which occur well structured communities characterized by a clear faunal zonation and trophic web of low energetic level. This fragile equilibrium is highly vulnerable to anthropogenic and natural perturbations (Canal et al, 2006) focused by the submarine canyons.The investigated area has been the submarine Blanes Canyon.The sampling of benthic megafauna was carried out with both an Otter-Trawl Maireta System (OTMS) and an Agassiz trawl, over the same trawling lanes.Physical oceanographic data were obtained six mooring lines were deployed between 900 and 1500 m of water depth from November 2008 to November 2009 inside the Blanes Canyon and on the adjacent open slope to the south. Each mooring line was equipped with a Technicap PPS3/3 sequential sediment trap and an Aanderaa RCM-8/9 current meter placed 30 m above the bottom Temperature and salinity data were sampled using CTD SBE 911 casts performed over the mooring sites during the different oceanographic cruises