EK80 Water Column Sonar Data Collected During GU1902

Operational objectives are to:
(1) collect underway data using TSG, SCS, and ADCP;
(2) complete CTD and bongo operations at stations throughout area;
(3) collect marine mammal and seabird observations;
(4) collect data and imagery of phytoplankton and faciliates using an Imaging FlowCytobot unit and optical measurements of the sea surface water using bio-optical instruments, both of which will be plumbed into the Scientific Seawater System;
(5) collect plankton samples with vertical plankton ring net tows to compare with bongo tows;
(6) collect microzooplankton samples using 61 cm bongo (333 / 150 micron mesh nets) at Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) stations (A17-SNE, A18-SNE, A19-SNE, A20-SNE); and
(7) collect radiometry measurements for satellite validation.

The Ecosystem Monitoring surveys contribute to stock assessments, protected species
assessments, ecosystem assessments, and climate assessments. As such, the surveys are multi-objective. Ichthyoplankton and hydrographic data are collected for stock assessments. A range of ecosystem observations are made, from nutrients and ocean acidification to marine mammals, and a number of the measurements are used in NEFSC ecosystem assessment products. The ocean acidification and hydrographic measurements are incorporated into the region’s climate assessments.
This survey is multidisciplinary and as such will integrate all these operations. The cruise plan will evolve with input from scientists as well as the officers and crew of NOAA Ship Gordon Gunter. A post-cruise meeting will focus on lessons learned and improvements to make for subsequent surveys of this type.