Resultados de investigación

CAIBOX Cruise (29SG20090706) carried out on the Research Vessel Sarmiento de Gamboa in 2009, Shelf-Ocean exchanges in the canaries-iberian large marine ecosystem. Oceanic regions like the Canaries–Iberian Large Marine Ecosystem (LME) have an importance disproportionate to their area because the wind–driven upwelling of nutrient–rich sub–surface waters into the photic layer promotes a blooming of phytoplankton, leading to high secondary production, large stocks of economically important exploitable species, and general enhancement of biogeochemical activity including the exchange of the greenhouse gas CO2 and other fluxes. Unlike other coastal upwelling regions, the oceanic waters adjacent to the Canaries–Iberian LME experiences considerable subduction, because of the Mediterranean Water formation in the Strait of Gibraltar. This phenomenon causes a pronounced heterotrophy in the mesopelagic (thermocline) waters of the surrounding area. At the same time, the narrow but extended coastal upwelling system can export its excess production to the impoverished epipelagic (surface mixed layer) ocean waters by means of upwelling filaments that extend hundreds of kilometres offshore. Despite various investigations of such coastal transition zones, definitive knowledge of the resultant exchange of water parcels, gasses, dissolved and suspended organic and inorganic materials and planktonic biota between near–shore and open ocean is still lacking. In this project we aim to provide a new level of understanding of the time–varying horizontal and vertical exchanges of water parcels and their properties between the upwelling/productive Canaries–Iberian Large Marine Ecosystem and the subducting/oligotrophic open ocean. Through intensive inter–disciplinary observations and modelling in two areas of recurrent and persistent filament systems we will determine how mesoscale interactions between upwelling, current jets, filaments, and eddies govern the fate of water parcels and their dissolved, particulate and planktonic content as they pass through the coastal transition zone. The two contrasting systems selected are the filament at 42ºN, which develops in the summer upwelling off the fishing ground of Cape Silleiro (NW Spain) and that at 30ºN, which persists in the year round upwelling off the fishing ground of Cape Guir (Morocco)

FAMOSO-3 Cruise (29SG20090914) carried out on the Research Vessel Sarmiento de Gamboa in 2009, FAMOSO (Fate of the northwestern Mediterranean open sea spring bloom), an investigation project on oceanic plankton and biogeochemical dynamics north of the IDEADOS area. During The 3 cruises sampled different oceanographic conditions, starting with early stages of the late winter-early spring bloom, followed by the late stage of the bloom, and finally summer stratification .Starting with the late winter-early spring phytoplankton bloom in FAMOSO-1: (14 to 22 March) the post-bloom in FAMOSO-2 ( 30 April to 13 May) and the late stratification in FAMOSO-3 ( 17 to 19 September). During these cruises, conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) profiles were conducted with a SBE911plus probe (SeaBird Electronics) attached to a rosette equipped with Niskin bottles. Samples were collected from 19 CTD casts for the determination of dissolved inorganic nitrogen and phosphate, as well as picoplankton abundance and cell properties. Wind speed data were collected by the onboard meteorological station

DIVA-ARTABRIA-II Cruise (29SG20090930) carried out on the Research Vessel Sarmiento de Gamboa in 2009, Biodiversity of the deep seafloor of the Galician coast. The objective is to study biodiversity, distribution and variability of the fauna on the west coast of Galicia between 100 and 3,000 m deep, using acoustic, seismic and sampling systems

GEOSTAR-1 Cruise (29SG20091105) carried out on the Research Vessel Sarmiento de Gamboa in 2009, GEOSTAR observatory and surface relay buoy deployment

IDEADOS-09 Cruise (29SG20091130) carried out on the Research Vessel Sarmiento de Gamboa in 2009, Benthopelagic ecosystem structure in the western Mediterranean: a multidisciplinary approach and different time scales in the Balearic Islands.The overall objective is to determine relationships between environmental conditions and nekto-benthic slope communities in two areas of the western Mediterranean, with distinct geomorphologic and hydrodynamic characteristics. Sub- Objectives 1.To determine the effect that seasonal variability of the hydrodynamics has on the species and communities of the slope and on their trophic resources along the water column, by means of the study of the various compartments of the zooplankton (micro-, meso- and macro-zooplankton) and nekton (micro- and macro-nekton). 2. To determine the viability of applying acoustic methods for the characterization of the communities in the Deep Scattering Layers (DSL) of the meso-pelagic domain.3. To determine the influence of the high frequency variability (daily, fortnightly and/or monthly) of the oceanographic conditions on the biology and dynamics of the red shrimp. 4. To contextualize the oligotrophic ecosystems of the Balearic Islands from a global perspective, including adjacent areas of western Mediterranean, from: (i) the estimation of the degree of connectivity between populations of the continental margin of the north-western Mediterranean and the Balearic Islands, using geochemical markers in hake otoliths; and, (ii) the analysis of information from fishing exploitation on the peninsular coast and the archipelago

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

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