BUSCADOR RECOLECTA

OAMMS-1 Cruise (29GD20090309) carried out on the Research Vessel García del Cid in 2009, Observation, Analysis and Modelling of the Mediterranean Sea(OMMS).The main objective is to consolidate a system of observation of the Mediterranean Sea through the real-time measurement of a number of meteorological and oceanographic magnitudes with a moored buoy, complemented by periodic visits with a research vessel to the mooring site and assimilation of the observations obtained in order to carry out the systematic forecasting of sea conditions in the NW Mediterranean Sea.Six-monthly visits from the R/V Garcia del Cid will be performed at the mooring site and at a grid covering parts of the Catalan Sea. On-deck inspection and maintenance of the instrumentation on the buoy will be carried out. The system was equipped with: a. Positional (GPS, ARGOS transmitter) and meteorological sensors (radiation, wind direction and speed -2 units-, air temperature -2 units-, relative humidity and air pressure). b. Sea surface sensor (temperature, salinity) and ADCP downward looking current meter. c. Underwater sensors -2 units- (depth, temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, fluorescence, turbidity, photosynthetic active radiation –PAR-). d. Data logging (Campbell Scientific) and system control. e. transmitting (two-way GSM modem connection) to the shore The proposed research project also aims at consolidating an observational system based on the CEAB multiparametric buoy, equipped with meteorological and oceanographic sensors for real time measurement and transmission to shore of the atmospheric and marine conditions. The buoy will be moored from the B/O García del Cid at a fixed point in the catalan coast, at the head of the Blanes canyon. Automatic observations will be complemented by a series of visits with the CEAB boat to the station where the buoy is moored in order to gather water and plankton samples. At the same time, the present procedure will be improved for the acquisition of water color data (chlorophyll, yellow substance, suspended particles) obtained by the MERIS sensor on board ESA’s ENVISAT satellite. These data offer two levels: 1) real time high spacial resolution files for the western Mediterranean Sea (Levels 1 and 2); and 2) global low to medium spacial resolution (Level 3). The data, together with other historical data also available, will constitute the project database with public access installed in the CEAB server. Limited access will be granted to users in general and, under request, to those with justified scientific or educational interests. A protocol for quality control of the data will be established and followed by statistical analysis in order to provide the models with a sound observational base for their calibration and validation

OBSEA Cruise (29GD20090311) carried out on the Research Vessel García del Cid in 2009, Bathymetry and elevation of the area of the future seafloor observatory OBSEA and of its future seafloor cable area

CASCADES-2 Cruise (29GD20090313) carried out on the Research Vessel García del Cid in 2009, To study the Interaction between the 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 campaign CASCADES 2 the anchors of the first campaign will be recovered and 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

PROMETEO-3 Cruise (29GD20090506) 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

COMSOM Cruise (29GD20090522) carried out on the Research Vessel García del Cid in 2009, Assesment of the status of benthic communities subjected to different levels of fishing impacts and marine debris as a tool for ecosystem management . Build models that explain the changes that take place in the communities of soft soils of trawling fishing grounds, depending on the fishing activity. It is also intended to assess the impact of sedimented marine litter

PERFILMED-II Cruise (29GD20090627) carried out on the Research Vessel García del Cid in 2009, 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.The study took place on board the R/V García del Cid, from the 27/06/09 to the 01/07/09 in the Catalan Sea, NW Mediterranean, at a fixed station (40.45 ºN, 2.39 ºE). 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

MEDOUT-09 Cruise (29GD20090712) carried out on the Research Vessel García del Cid in 2009, Tracking the Mediterranean outflow in the Gulf of Cadiz.The MEDOUT-09 cruise was carried out in July 2009 onboard the R/V García del Cid. The region of study was west of Espartel Sill, approximately between 35°42′ and 35°54′N and between 6°15′ and 6°33′W, corresponding to an area of about 27 km × 22 km.For the water-column analysis, we use four main sets of conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) and/or velocity data. Velocity data was continuously recorded during the entire cruise using an on-board Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) and was measured at the CTD stations with a Lowered ADCP (LADCP) system mounted to the rosette-CTD frame

INDEMARES-0 Cruise (29GD20090721) carried out on the Research Vessel García del Cid in 2009, To study the benthic communities of the Cap de Creus canyon and the Menorca channel. 1. Perform video transects using the ROV-EVO in order to be able to study the benthic communities, as well as the type of dominant substrate in each sampling area. 2. Collect samples of benthos using bottom dredges in order to complement the video material and obtain granulometry data from the land. 3. Carry out transects with trawl nets in order to capture organisms (macrofauna) for taxonomic identification and various analyzes

PROMETEO-4 Cruise (29GD20090903) 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

OAMMS-2 Cruise (29GD20090915) carried out on the Research Vessel García del Cid in 2009, Observation, Analysis and Modelling of the Mediterranean Sea(OMMS).The main objective is to consolidate a system of observation of the Mediterranean Sea through the real-time measurement of a number of meteorological and oceanographic magnitudes with a moored buoy, complemented by periodic visits with a research vessel to the mooring site and assimilation of the observations obtained in order to carry out the systematic forecasting of sea conditions in the NW Mediterranean Sea.Six-monthly visits from the R/V Garcia del Cid will be performed at the mooring site and at a grid covering parts of the Catalan Sea. On-deck inspection and maintenance of the instrumentation on the buoy will be carried out. The system was equipped with: a. Positional (GPS, ARGOS transmitter) and meteorological sensors (radiation, wind direction and speed -2 units-, air temperature -2 units-, relative humidity and air pressure). b. Sea surface sensor (temperature, salinity) and ADCP downward looking current meter. c. Underwater sensors -2 units- (depth, temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, fluorescence, turbidity, photosynthetic active radiation –PAR-). d. Data logging (Campbell Scientific) and system control. e. transmitting (two-way GSM modem connection) to the shore The proposed research project also aims at consolidating an observational system based on the CEAB multiparametric buoy, equipped with meteorological and oceanographic sensors for real time measurement and transmission to shore of the atmospheric and marine conditions. The buoy will be moored from the B/O García del Cid at a fixed point in the catalan coast, at the head of the Blanes canyon. Automatic observations will be complemented by a series of visits with the CEAB boat to the station where the buoy is moored in order to gather water and plankton samples. At the same time, the present procedure will be improved for the acquisition of water color data (chlorophyll, yellow substance, suspended particles) obtained by the MERIS sensor on board ESA’s ENVISAT satellite. These data offer two levels: 1) real time high spacial resolution files for the western Mediterranean Sea (Levels 1 and 2); and 2) global low to medium spacial resolution (Level 3). The data, together with other historical data also available, will constitute the project database with public access installed in the CEAB server. Limited access will be granted to users in general and, under request, to those with justified scientific or educational interests. A protocol for quality control of the data will be established and followed by statistical analysis in order to provide the models with a sound observational base for their calibration and validation