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CRUISE REPORT
C267: TRANS-ATLANTIC CROSSING
SCIENTIFIC ACTIVITIES UNDERTAKEN ABOARD THE
SSV CORWITH CRAMER
Woods Hole, MA to Cork, Ireland
3 June – 30 June 2016
Sea Education Association
Woods Hole, Massachusetts
2
Citation:
Goodwin, D.S., 2016. Final Report for S.E.A. Cruise C267. Sea Education Association, Woods Hole, MA
02543, USA. www.sea.edu.
To obtain unpublished data, contact the SEA Data Archivist:
Science Data Archivist
Sea Education Association
P.O. Box 6
Woods Hole, MA 02543
508-540-3954 or 800-552-3633 (phone)
508-457-4673 (fax)
www.sea.edu
3
Table of Contents
Table 1: Ship's company 4
Data Description 5
Figure 1: Final cruise track 5
Figure 2a: Surface water temperature, salinity, chlorophyll & CDOM
fluorescence 6
Figure 2b: Surface water nitrate & phosphate concentrations, pH & chlorophyll
concentration 7
Figure 3: Surface current vectors, entire cruise track 8
Figure 4: Wind speed & direction vectors 9
Figure 5: Hydrographic sections (temperature, salinity, density & dissolved
oxygen) 10
Table 2: Summary of oceanographic sampling stations 11
Table 3: CTD station data 13
Table 4: Surface station data 14
Table 5a: Neuston tow hydrographic data 16
Table 5b: Neuston tow biological data 18
Table 6a: Meter net hydrographic data 20
Table 6b: Meter net biological data 21
Table 7a: Zooplankton 100 count data 22
Table 7b: Zooplankton 100 count data (continued) 24
Table 8: Phytoplankton tow data 26
Table 9: Dip net data 26
Table 10: Student research projects 27
Student Research Project Abstracts 28
4
Table 1: C267 Ship's Company, SSV Corwith Cramer
Nautical Staff & Faculty
Chris Nolan Captain
Scott Spillias Chief Mate
Cassie Sleeper Second Mate
David ‘Rocky’ Bonner Third Mate
Alex Myers Chief Engineer
Lydia Mathewson Assistant Engineer
Becky Slattery Steward
Leona Waller Sailing Intern
Nina Whittaker Sailing Intern
Allisa Dalpe Sailing Intern
Courtney Moore Sailing Intern
Shawn Deweese Visiting Faculty
Scientific Staff
Deb Goodwin Chief Scientist
Matt Hirsch First Assistant Scientist
Jessica Donohue Second Assistant Scientist
Erin Adams Third Assistant Scientist
Students
Katie Armstrong Mount Holyoke College
Brianna Cahill SUNY Stony Brook
Mary Christman St. John’s College
William Corson Skidmore College
Duff Dean University of Texas, Austin
Emma Guyot Bowdoin College
Meg John Goucher College
Ian Kasaitis McDaniel College
Molly Lapointe Mount Holyoke College
Sarah Nickford SUNY Stony Brook
Kaylie Plumb University of South Carolina
Kiara Reed Colby College
Ian Selig Wesleyan University
Katie Sipple Westchester University
5
Data Description
During the C267 four-week passage from Woods Hole, Massachusetts (USA) to Cork, Ireland (Figure 1), SSV
Corwith Cramer and her crew transited several oceanographic provinces, the differences among which formed the
primary basis for our research program. The first leg of this passage crossed the shallow, productive New England
continental shelf including the Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank, busy fishing grounds significantly influenced by
coastal activities and conditions. Thereafter, we sailed southeast, avoiding a tropical storm and seeking the benefits
of an eastward ride on the Gulf Stream. The second week of the cruise was spent zig-zagging across the north wall
of the Gulf Stream itself, with some days in cool temperate waters and others in warm subtropical gyre waters. Once
past the Newfoundland Ridge, a seafloor feature south of the Grand Banks, we turned northeast and followed
approximately a great circle route to Ireland. Here, the nutrient-rich dynamic waters of the North Atlantic Drift
Current offered a wide variety of plankton and wildlife. In the third week, we crossed the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and
finally approached the Irish Shelf and Celtic Seas. Students completed a multi-day “Final Mission” examining the
environmental conditions along the southwest coast of Ireland from the Skellig Islands (a bird sanctuary and
UNESCO World Heritage Site) to Cobh (our final approach to Cork). Throughout the C267 voyage, marine
mammal and seabird sightings occurred frequently – long-finned pilot whales, fin whales, blue whales, a sperm
whale, and multiple species of dolphins graced over 75% of our days underway.
Figure 1. Final cruise track for C267 based on hourly (local time) positions. The voyage
began in Woods Hole, Massachusetts (USA) and ended in Cork, Ireland with no port stops.
This summer program offered a challenging extended sea passage and the opportunity to select one of two areas of
academic focus: Practical Oceanographic Research or Leadership in a Dynamic Environment. About 1/3 of students
were enrolled in the leadership course while the remaining mostly early undergraduate science majors undertook
marine research projects of their own design. All participants were equally engaged in all areas of shipboard
operations; there were no port stops during C267.
Oceanographic data were collected along the entirety of the cruise track during 43 stations comprised of 83
individual deployments (summarized in Table 2; detailed in Tables 3 - 9) as well as related chemical analyses for
nutrients, size-fractioned extracted chlorophyll and seawater pH (Table 4). Furthermore, continuous surface water
measurements (sea surface temperature, salinity, in vivo chlorophyll fluorescence, CDOM fluorescence and
transmissivity by the ship's flow-through system; Figure 2a), water depth and sub-bottom profiles (CHIRP system),
upper ocean currents (ADCP; Figure 3), and meteorological data were gathered. CTD casts with additional
complementary instrumentation obtained vertical water column profiles of temperature, salinity, chlorophyll
fluorescence and dissolved oxygen (Figure 5). Lengthy CTD, CHIRP, ADCP and flow-through data are not fully
presented here; all unpublished data can be made available by arrangement with the SEA Data Archivist (contact
information, p. 2).
Data supported both ongoing SEA research projects and a small suite of student-driven investigations (Table 10 and
abstracts p. 28). Research topics included: identification of and long term changes in North Atlantic water masses,
myctophid (lanternfish) biogeography, distribution and size composition of marine plastic pollution, and
environmental influences on phytoplankton community structure. The resulting student manuscripts are available
upon request from Deb Goodwin, C267 Chief Scientist.
6
Figure 2a. Surface water temperature (°C), salinity (psu), chlorophyll fluorescence (volts) and CDOM
fluorescence (volts) for C267 as measured by flow through system sensors.
The ship’s flow through system sensors included a SeaBird Thermosalinograph (S/N 0060), WETLabs C-Star
CDOM fluorometer (S/N WSCD-119), and Turner Designs Model 10-AU in vivo chlorophyll-a fluorometer
(S/N SCF-2740).
7
Figure 2b. Surface water nitrate concentration (uM), phosphate concentration (uM), pH, and chlorophyll
concentration (0.45um; ug/L) for C267 as measured by laboratory analyses on discrete surface station
water samples.
Extracted chlorophyll-a samples were filtered through 0.45 μm filters and measured with a Turner Designs
Model 10-AU fluorometer. Seawater pH was determined using m-cresol purple indicator dye and
spectrophotometry. Nutrients (PO4 and NO3) were assessed with colorometric spectrophotometry.
8
Figure 3. Surface current vectors (mm/s) for the C267 cruise track. Note that 500 mm/s is approximately 1.0
knot.
9
Figure 4: Wind speed and direction for the C267 cruise track, as measured by the ship’s anemometer.
Note that 0.5 m/s is approximately 1.0 knot.
10
Figure 5: Hydrographic along-track sections for C267. Oceanographic regions indicated below oxygen
section apply to all plots.
Data gathered during hydrocast stations utilizing a SeaBird 19+V2 CTD (S/N 4447 and 7705) and SeaBird
Dissolved Oxygen sensor (model 43; S/N 1120 and 3328), and Seapoint chlorophyll fluorometer (S/N SEA-001;
not shown).
11
Table 2: Summary of oceanographic sampling stations for C267.
Station
Number
(C267-)
Date Time
(Local)
Log
(nm)
Latitude
(deg N)
Longitude
(deg W) NT MN PN CTD DN
Surface
Station General Locale
001 6-Jun-16 1028 89.2 42.70 -68.17 x x x SS-002 New England Shelf
002 6-Jun-16 2307 HB 42.41 -67.25 x x SS-003 New England Shelf
003 7-Jun-16 1017 173.3 42.41 -66.69 x x x SS-004 New England Shelf
004 7-Jun-16 2335 225.8 42.33 -65.84 x SS-005 New England Shelf
005 8-Jun-16 1037 258.5 42.25 -65.08 x x x SS-006 New England Shelf
006 8-Jun-16 2317 334.4 41.63 -63.63 x x SS-007 New England Shelf
007 9-Jun-16 1047 388.1 41.05 -62.72 x x SS-008 Western Atlantic Basin
008 10-Jun-16 1040 486.7 40.12 -60.00 x x x SS-010 Western Atlantic Basin
009 10-Jun-16 2326 551.0 40.11 -55.59 x SS-011 Western Atlantic Basin
010 11-Jun-16 1036 619.0 40.16 -57.02 x x x x SS-012 Western Atlantic Basin
011 11-Jun-16 2251 HB 40.04 -55.42 x x SS-013 Western Atlantic Basin
012 12-Jun-16 1043 721.0 40.18 -54.23 x x x SS-014 Western Atlantic Basin
013 12-Jun-16 2303 780.1 40.38 -52.71 x SS-015 Western Atlantic Basin
014 13-Jun-16 1040 HB 40.56 -51.05 x x x SS-016 Western Atlantic Basin
015 13-Jun-16 2243 928.8 40.98 -49.77 x x SS-017 Western Atlantic Basin
016 14-Jun-16 1009 976.3 41.42 -43.55 x x x SS-018 Western Atlantic Basin
017 14-Jun-16 2302 1032.0 43.10 -47.41 x SS-019 Western Atlantic Basin
018 15-Jun-16 1017 1083.9 42.55 -46.06 x x x SS-020 Western Atlantic Basin
019 15-Jun-16 2251 1150.1 43.15 -44.66 x x SS-021 Western Atlantic Basin
020 16-Jun-16 1008 1194.6 43.40 -43.44 x x x SS-022 Western Atlantic Basin
021 16-Jun-16 2302 1274.1 43.47 -41.42 x SS-023 Western Atlantic Basin
022 17-Jun-16 1017 1341.7 43.45 -39.72 x x x SS-024 Western Atlantic Basin
023 17-Jun-16 2250 1408.3 43.80 -38.30 x x SS-025 Western Atlantic Basin
024 18-Jun-16 2301 1560.3 45.34 -35.07 x SS-026 Western Atlantic Basin
025 19-Jun-16 1008 1624.6 45.97 -33.66 x x x SS-027 Western Atlantic Basin
026 19-Jun-16 2301 1693.2 46.50 -32.19 x SS-028 Western Atlantic Basin
027 20-Jun-16 1203 1764.2 47.11 -30.53 x SS-029 Western Atlantic Basin
028 20-Jun-16 2244 1832.1 47.98 -29.38 x x SS-030 Mid-Atlantic Ridge
029 21-Jun-16 0934 1876.8 48.02 -28.02 x x SS-031 Mid-Atlantic Ridge
030 21-Jun-16 2331 1936.6 48.60 -26.79 x SS-032 Mid-Atlantic Ridge
031 22-Jun-16 1026 1994.5 48.75 -25.44 x x SS-033 Eastern Atlantic Basin
032 22-Jun-16 2255 2046.8 49.06 -24.29 x x SS-034 Eastern Atlantic Basin
033 23-Jun-20 0910 2094.5 49.28 -23.05 x Eastern Atlantic Basin
034 24-Jun-16 0046 2156.6 49.63 -21.39 x SS-035 Eastern Atlantic Basin
12
Table 2: Summary of oceanographic sampling stations for C267 (continued).
Station
Number
(C267-)
Date Time
(Local)
Log
(nm)
Latitude
(deg N)
Longitude
(deg W) NT MN PN CTD DN
Surface
Station General Locale
035 24-Jun-16 1003 2209.7 49.91 -20.03 x x SS-036 Eastern Atlantic Basin
036 24-Jun-16 2238 2278.8 50.28 -18.43 x x SS-037 Eastern Atlantic Basin
037 25-Jun-16 1020 2326.2 50.54 -17.27 x x SS-038 Eastern Atlantic Basin
038 26-Jun-16 0045 2390.7 50.82 -15.67 x SS-039 Eastern Atlantic Basin
039 26-Jun-16 1012 2451.0 51.20 -14.22 x x SS-040 Irish Shelf
040 27-Jun-16 0048 2531.4 51.69 -12.16 x SS-041 Irish Shelf
041 27-Jun-16 2142 2631.2 51.26 -10.02 x SS-042 Irish Shelf
042 28-Jun-16 0337 2651.9 51.23 -9.50 x SS-043 Irish Shelf
043 28-Jun-16 0940 HB 51.39 -9.05 x SS-044 Irish Shelf
Notes: Station 033 was the styrocast with accompanying vertical MN. Stations 028, 032 and 036 deployed the 2 meter net. Surface station data are
in Table 4.
In Table 2, abbreviations for oceanographic equipment deployed are: NT – neuston tow; MN – 1 or 2 meter net (oblique tow); PN – phytoplankton
net; CTD – CTD with optical instrumentation; DN – dip net. General Locales are categorized by traditional oceanic biomes.
13
Table 3: CTD station data for C267; water column profiles contoured in Figure 5. Station locations as in Table 2.
Station
Number
(C267-)
Date Time
(Local) General Locale
Profile
Depth (m)
001-CTD 6-Jun-16 1043 New England Shelf 173
003-CTD 7-Jun-16 1038 New England Shelf 294
005-CTD 8-Jun-16 1037 New England Shelf 573
007-CTD 9-Jun-16 1047 Western Atlantic Basin 485
008-CTD 10-Jun-16 1040 Western Atlantic Basin 464
010-CTD 11-Jun-16 1036 Western Atlantic Basin 605
012-CTD 12-Jun-16 1043 Western Atlantic Basin 1220
014-CTD 13-Jun-16 1040 Western Atlantic Basin 1154
016-CTD 14-Jun-16 1009 Western Atlantic Basin 1256
018-CTD 15-Jun-16 1017 Western Atlantic Basin 895
020-CTD 16-Jun-16 1131 Western Atlantic Basin 1194
022-CTD 17-Jun-16 1145 Western Atlantic Basin 1273
025-CTD 19-Jun-16 1008 Western Atlantic Basin 1351
029-CTD 21-Jun-16 0934 Mid Atlantic Ridge 1246
035-CTD 24-Jun-16 1003 Eastern Atlantic Basin 1433
037-CTD 25-Jun-16 1017 Eastern Atlantic Basin 1328
039-CTD 26-Jun-16 1012 Irish Shelf 526
All CTDs gathered data from a SeaBird 19+V2 CTD (S/N 4447 and 7705) and a varied combination of three auxiliary instruments (Seapoint
Chlorophyll fluorometer (S/N SEA-001), SeaBird Dissolved Oxygen sensor (model 43; S/N 1120 and 3328), and Biospherical Instruments PAR
sensor (model QSP 2300; S/N 70187).
14
Table 4: Surface station data for C267 Station locations as in Table 2.
Station
Number
(C267-)
Date Time
(Local) General Locale
Temperature
(°C)
Salinity
(psu)
Chlorophyll
0.45um (ug/L)
Chlorophyll
5.0um (ug/L)
PO4
(μM)
NO3
(μM) pH
SS-001 5-Jun-16 0135 New England Shelf 14.2 31.197 0.478 - - - 7.982
SS-002 6-Jun-16 1146 New England Shelf 10.8 32.244 1.136 0.606 0.302 0.289 7.967
SS-003 7-Jun-16 0001 New England Shelf 10.9 32.159 0.834 0.792 0.911 0.324 8.018
SS-004 7-Jun-16 1140 New England Shelf 11.3 32.081 0.495 0.391 0.231 0.202 7.891
SS-005 7-Jun-16 2344 New England Shelf 9.9 30.839 0.271 1.430 0.351 0.280 7.940
SS-006 8-Jun-16 1202 New England Shelf 13.1 32.445 0.414 0.360 0.170 0.000 7.953
SS-007 9-Jun-16 0027 New England Shelf 13.7 32.990 0.384 0.235 - 0.000 8.027
SS-008 9-Jun-16 1150 Western Atlantic Basin 20.0 35.855 0.610 0.428 0.068 0.275 8.092
SS-009 9-Jun-16 2357 Western Atlantic Basin 21.1 35.664 0.424 0.379 0.077 0.404 8.079
SS-010 10-Jun-16 1217 Western Atlantic Basin 18.7 35.680 0.252 0.161 0.002 0.186 8.066
SS-011 10-Jun-16 2357 Western Atlantic Basin 17.7 35.410 0.361 0.238 0.152 0.183 8.049
SS-012 11-Jun-16 1215 Western Atlantic Basin 24.8 36.357 0.143 0.062 0.152 0.451 8.161
SS-013 11-Jun-16 0005 Western Atlantic Basin 21.1 36.043 0.664 0.557 0.125 0.155 8.035
SS-014 12-Jun-16 1253 Western Atlantic Basin 23.7 36.230 0.193 0.088 0.152 0.115 8.021
SS-015 12-Jun-16 2316 Western Atlantic Basin 18.9 35.705 0.119 0.080 0.028 0.021 8.019
SS-016 13-Jun-16 1257 Western Atlantic Basin 23.1 36.520 0.111 0.066 0.028 0.048 8.022
SS-017 14-Jun-16 0002 Western Atlantic Basin 22.5 36.450 0.198 0.191 0.095 0.020 8.026
SS-018 14-Jun-16 1222 Western Atlantic Basin 17.1 35.430 0.228 0.224 0.152 0.137 7.949
SS-019 14-Jun-16 2311 Western Atlantic Basin 10.8 33.415 1.042 0.914 0.187 0.097 7.957
SS-020 15-Jun-16 1207 Western Atlantic Basin 10.7 33.130 0.591 0.555 0.302 0.053 7.839
SS-021 15-Jun-16 2350 Western Atlantic Basin 20.3 36.341 0.352 0.310 0.077 0.000 8.042
SS-022 16-Jun-16 1201 Western Atlantic Basin 18.9 36.449 0.454 0.333 0.156 0.112 8.048
SS-023 16-Jun-16 2304 Western Atlantic Basin 18.7 36.444 0.617 0.453 0.165 0.299 7.983
SS-024 17-Jun-16 1219 Western Atlantic Basin 14.0 33.619 0.233 0.212 0.214 0.202 7.896
SS-025 18-Jun-16 0009 Western Atlantic Basin 16.3 35.710 1.142 0.871 0.223 2.008 7.885
SS-026 18-Jun-16 2320 Western Atlantic Basin 14.8 35.561 0.774 0.618 0.245 3.293 7.920
SS-027 19-Jun-16 1215 Western Atlantic Basin 14.5 35.439 0.903 0.836 0.289 4.094 7.969
SS-028 19-Jun-16 2315 Western Atlantic Basin 15.1 35.616 0.890 0.720 - - 8.070
SS-029 20-Jun-16 1220 Western Atlantic Basin 14.5 35.544 0.675 0.631 - - -
SS-030 21-Jun-16 0000 Mid-Atlantic Ridge 15.0 35.700 0.704 - - - 8.104
SS-031 21-Jun-16 1135 Mid-Atlantic Ridge 13.8 35.214 1.179 - - - 8.037
SS-032 21-Jun-16 2351 Mid-Atlantic Ridge 14.4 35.450 0.495 - - - 7.988
SS-033 22-Jun-16 1228 Eastern Atlantic Basin 15.1 35.620 0.517 - - - 7.944
SS-034 23-Jun-16 0005 Eastern Atlantic Basin 14.2 35.430 0.563 - - - 8.108
15
Table 4: Surface station data for S258. Station locations as in Table 2.
Station
Number
(C267-)
Date Time
(Local) General Locale
Temperature
(°C)
Salinity
(psu)
Chlorophyll
0.45um (ug/L)
Chlorophyll
5.0um (ug/L)
PO4
(μM)
NO3
(μM) pH
SS-035 24-Jun-16 0046 Eastern Atlantic Basin 14.5 35.435 0.718 - - - 7.993
SS-036 24-Jun-16 1220 Eastern Atlantic Basin 14.9 35.500 0.525 - - - 7.731
SS-037 25-Jun-16 0011 Eastern Atlantic Basin 14.8 35.520 0.572 - - - 8.011
SS-038 25-Jun-16 1237 Eastern Atlantic Basin 14.9 35.510 0.481 - - - 8.036
SS-039 26-Jun-16 0057 Eastern Atlantic Basin 14.7 35.457 0.541 - - - 8.051
SS-040 26-Jun-16 1133 Irish Shelf 14.4 35.419 0.261 - - - 7.986
SS-041 27-Jun-16 0102 Irish Shelf 14.6 35.452 0.198 - - - 7.927
SS-042 27-Jun-16 2149 Irish Shelf 14.5 34.991 - - - - 8.041
SS-043 28-Jun-16 0343 Irish Shelf 14.8 34.970 - - - - 8.030
SS-044 28-Jun-16 0942 Irish Shelf 14.1 34.739 - - - - 7.998
The ship’s flow through system sensors included a SeaBird Thermosalinograph (S/N 0060). Extracted chlorophyll-a samples were filtered through
0.45 and 5.0 μm filters and measured with a Turner Designs Model 10-AU fluorometer. Seawater pH was determined using m-cresol purple
indicator dye and spectrophotometry. Nutrients (PO4 and NO3) were assessed with colorometric spectrophotometry.
16
Table 5a: Neuston tow hydrographic data for C267. Station locations as in Table 2.
Station
Number
(C267-)
Date Time
(Local)
Moon
Phase
(%)
Sea Surface
Temperature
(°C)
Chlorophyll
Fluorescence
(volts)
Salinity
(psu)
Tow
Area
(m2)
Zooplankton
Biomass (mL)
Zooplankton
Density
(mL/m2)
General Locale
001-NT 6-Jun-16 1130 3%R 10.7 1480.0 32.26 1941.3 5.0 0.0026 New England Shelf
002-NT 6-Jun-16 2351 3%S 11.0 2501.0 32.14 2254.6 1301.0 0.5770 New England Shelf
003-NT 7-Jun-16 1132 8%R 11.3 916.0 32.08 1922.8 6.5 0.0034 New England Shelf
004-NT 7-Jun-16 2335 8%S 9.9 1119.0 30.80 1913.7 6611.0 3.4546 New England Shelf
005-NT 8-Jun-16 1154 15%R 13.1 857.0 32.42 2514.5 1.0 0.0004 New England Shelf
006-NT 9-Jun-16 0015 23%S 13.7 1318.0 32.97 1123.6 47.0 0.0418 New England Shelf
008-NT 10-Jun-16 1202 20%R 19.4 761.0 35.72 2394.8 3.5 0.0015 Western Atlantic Basin
009-NT 10-Jun-16 2326 32%S 17.7 1015.0 35.41 1570.3 87.0 0.0554 Western Atlantic Basin
010-NT 11-Jun-16 1205 42%R 24.9 608.1 36.35 1790.3 12.0 0.0067 Western Atlantic Basin
011-NT 11-Jun-16 2345 42%R 21.4 1226.0 36.04 1935.4 40.5 0.0209 Western Atlantic Basin
012-NT 12-Jun-16 1231 52%R 23.6 552.0 36.22 2041.2 12.2 0.0060 Western Atlantic Basin
013-NT 12-Jun-16 2303 61%S 18.9 681.0 35.69 1059.4 852.5 0.8047 Western Atlantic Basin
014-NT 13-Jun-16 1227 61%S 23.6 553.0 36.52 2170.2 6.5 0.0030 Western Atlantic Basin
015-NT 13-Jun-16 2354 61%R 22.4 692.0 36.44 1584.4 22.0 0.0139 Western Atlantic Basin
016-NT 14-Jun-16 1206 70%R 17.1 660.0 35.37 1355.4 106.5 0.0786 Western Atlantic Basin
017-NT 14-Jun-16 2302 78%R 10.9 2502.0 33.51 1462.9 27.0 0.0185 Western Atlantic Basin
018-NT 15-Jun-16 1159 78%S 10.6 1412.0 33.13 2187.6 0.5 0.0002 Western Atlantic Basin
019-NT 16-Jun-16 2340 78%R 20.3 1074.0 36.34 2417.7 7.5 0.0031 Western Atlantic Basin
020-NT 16-Jun-16 1154 86%S 18.8 1248.0 36.45 1669.0 16.2 0.0097 Western Atlantic Basin
021-NT 16-Jun-16 2302 86%R 18.7 1794.0 36.44 1655.2 8.0 0.0048 Western Atlantic Basin
022-NT 17-Jun-16 1211 92%S 14.0 680.0 33.62 561.3 6.0 0.0107 Western Atlantic Basin
023-NT 17-Jun-16 2349 92%R 16.4 4939.0 35.70 2166.5 21.0 0.0097 Western Atlantic Basin
024-NT 18-Jun-16 2301 96%R 14.8 3640.0 35.56 1898.3 60.0 0.0316 Western Atlantic Basin
025-NT 19-Jun-16 1158 99%S 14.5 1689.0 35.43 1364.2 7.0 0.0051 Western Atlantic Basin
026-NT 19-Jun-16 2301 99%R 15.1 4057.0 35.61 3113.5 4.0 0.0013 Western Atlantic Basin
027-NT 20-Jun-16 1203 100%S 14.5 1678.0 35.56 2037.5 46.0 0.0226 Mid-Atlantic Ridge
028-NT 20-Jun-16 2341 100%R 14.5 5482.0 35.70 3105.3 11.0 0.0035 Mid-Atlantic Ridge
029-NT 21-Jun-16 1132 99%S 13.7 2099.0 35.17 2109.0 27.5 0.0130 Mid-Atlantic Ridge
030-NT 21-Jun-16 2331 99%R 14.4 3984.0 35.45 1349.1 205.1 0.1520 Mid-Atlantic Ridge
031-NT 22-Jun-16 1214 96%S 15.1 1959.0 35.63 1944.4 22.0 0.0113 Mid-Atlantic Ridge
032-NT 22-Jun-16 2353 96%R 14.3 3066.0 35.46 2683.1 61.0 0.0227 Eastern Atlantic Basin
034-NT 24-Jun-16 0046 90%R 14.5 5518.0 35.40 2548.0 736.0 0.2889 Eastern Atlantic Basin
035-NT 24-Jun-16 1202 83%S 14.9 1602.0 35.49 2843.0 14.8 0.0052 Eastern Atlantic Basin
036-NT 24-Jun-16 2353 74%R 14.9 4793.0 35.52 1094.6 10.0 0.0091 Eastern Atlantic Basin
17
Table 5a: Neuston tow hydrographic data for C267. Station locations as in Table 2.
Station
Number
(C267-)
Date Time
(Local)
Moon
Phase
(%)
Sea Surface
Temperature
(°C)
Chlorophyll
Fluorescence
(volts)
Salinity
(psu)
Tow
Area
(m2)
Zooplankton
Biomass (mL)
Zooplankton
Density
(mL/m2)
General Locale
037-NT 25-Jun-16 1210 74%S 14.9 1311.0 35.51 1964.5 395.0 0.2011 Eastern Atlantic Basin
038-NT 26-Jun-16 0045 74%R 14.7 4492.0 35.45 741.0 5.5 0.0074 Eastern Atlantic Basin
039-NT 26-Jun-16 1123 64%S 14.4 1016.0 35.42 1923.1 22.0 0.0114 Irish Shelf
040-NT 27-Jun-16 0048 53%R 14.6 1499.0 35.45 2002.3 81.0 0.0405 Irish Shelf
041-NT 27-Jun-16 2142 53%S 14.5 1094.0 35.00 2215.2 278.0 0.1255 Irish Shelf
042-NT 28-Jun-16 0337 42%R 14.8 1093.0 34.97 1867.8 157.0 0.0841 Irish Shelf
043-NT 28-Jun-16 0940 42%R 14.1 814.0 34.74 1021.4 14.0 0.0137 Irish Shelf
Moon phase indicates either risen (R) or set (S). Tow area calculated using distance (meters) between successive minutes' GPS positions. Neuston
net opening 1.0m wide by 0.5m tall, with a 333μm mesh net. Zooplankton density recorded as wet volume displacement per tow area (ml/m2).
18
Table 5b: Neuston tow biological data for C267 (continued). Station locations as in Table 2.
Station
Number
(C267-)
Phyllosoma
(#)
Leptocephali
(#)
Halobates
(#)
Myctophids
(#)
Sargassum
(g)
Plastic
Pellets
(#)
Plastic
Pieces
(#)
Tar
(#)
Nekton
>2cm (mL)
Gelatinous
>2cm (mL)
001-NT 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 27 0 0.3 0.0
002-NT 0 1 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 10.4 0.0
003-NT 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 3 0 0.0 2.0
004-NT 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 11 0 56.8 12.8
005-NT 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 7 0 0.0 0.0
006-NT 0 0 0 15 0.0 0 34 0 13.5 352.0
008-NT 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 8 0 1.0 0.0
009-NT 0 0 0 16 0.0 0 4 0 12.5 105.0
010-NT 0 0 0 0 6.3 0 1 0 0.0 8.0
011-NT 0 0 0 9 0.0 0 0 0 3.0 6.0
012-NT 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 2 0 0.0 0.0
013-NT 0 0 0 4 0.0 0 3 0 1.2 274.0
014-NT 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0
015-NT 0 1 0 21 0.0 0 1 0 7.0 60.0
016-NT 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0.0 2.0
017-NT 0 0 0 2 0.0 0 0 0 3.1 0.0
018-NT 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 2 0 0.0 0.0
019-NT 0 0 0 3 0.0 0 0 0 2.0 0.0
020-NT 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 8 0 0.1 4.3
021-NT 0 0 0 8 0.0 0 2 0 4.1 1125.0
022-NT 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 2 0 0.0 0.0
023-NT 0 0 0 38 0.0 0 8 0 23.4 0.0
024-NT 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0.0 290.0
025-NT 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 3 0 1.0 15.0
026-NT 0 0 0 1 0.0 0 6 0 35.2 0.0
027-NT 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 1.3 0.0
028-NT 0 0 0 2 0.0 0 4 0 1.0 7.0
029-NT 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 5 0 0.0 0.0
030-NT 0 0 0 2 0.0 0 0 0 2.6 87.5
031-NT 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0
032-NT 0 0 0 5 0.0 0 5 0 7.6 8.0
034-NT 0 0 0 6 0.0 0 1 0 10.0 0.0
035-NT 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 9 0 0.0 14.0
036-NT 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0.0 410.0
19
Table 5b: Neuston tow biological data for C267 (continued). Station locations as in Table 2.
Station
Number
(C267-)
Phyllosoma
(#)
Leptocephali
(#)
Halobates
(#)
Myctophids
(#)
Sargassum
(g)
Plastic
Pellets
(#)
Plastic
Pieces
(#)
Tar
(#)
Nekton
>2cm (mL)
Gelatinous
>2cm (mL)
037-NT 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0.0 50.0
038-NT 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0.1 3.0
039-NT 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 1 0 0.0 2.0
040-NT 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 1 0 0.0 6472.5
041-NT 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 1 0 17.2 19.5
042-NT 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 3.0 0.0
043-NT 0 0 0 0 0.0 0 0 0 0.0 0.0
Eel larvae (leptocephali), spiny lobster larvae (phyllosoma), marine water striders (halobates) and Lantern fish (myctophids) sorted from net
contents and counted. Micronekton and gelatinous micronekton removed using a 333 um mesh sieve; biovolume (ml) recorded. Qualitative
descriptions of micronekton removed from zooplankton biomass are available. Floating plastic and tar removed from net contents, sorted and
recorded as numbers collected per tow.
20
Table 6a: Meter net hydrographic data for C267. Station locations as in Table 2.
Station
Number
(C267-)
Date Time
(Local)
Sea Surface
Temperature
(°C)
Chlorophyll
Fluorescence
(volts)
Salinity
(psu)
Maximum
Tow
Depth (m)
Tow
Length
(m)
Tow
Volume
(m3)
Zooplankton
Biomass
(mL)
Zooplankton
Density
(mL/m3)
General Locale
002-MN 6-Jun-16 2307 11.0 2597.0 32.12 58 1394.2 1094.5 493.0 0.4504 New England Shelf
006-MN 8-Jun-16 2317 13.4 1396.0 32.81 95 1165.1 914.6 101.0 0.1104 New England Shelf
011-MN 11-Jun-16 2251 23.3 1404.0 36.40 170 995.9 781.8 92.5 0.1183 Western Atlantic Basin
015-MN 13-Jun-16 2252 22.5 609.0 36.54 89 1629.5 1279.1 179.0 0.1399 Western Atlantic Basin
019-MN 15-Jun-16 2251 20.3 1101.0 36.31 107 1225.5 962.0 103.0 0.1071 Western Atlantic Basin
023-MN 17-Jun-16 2250 16.5 4118.0 35.72 110 1516.8 1190.7 162.0 0.1361 Western Atlantic Basin
028-2MN 20-Jun-16 2244 15.0 5677.0 35.73 83.0 1688.9 4442.0 196.3 0.0442 Mid-Atlantic Ridge
032-2MN 22-Jun-16 2255 14.5 2849.0 35.49 90.0 1268.3 3335.6 122.0 0.0366 Eastern Atlantic Basin
033-MN 23-Jun-16 0910 15.1 3485.0 35.61 ~1700 5018.8 3939.8 106.0 0.0269 Eastern Atlantic Basin
036-2MN 24-Jun-16 2238 14.9 4442.0 35.52 114 1519.8 3997.1 319.0 0.0798 Eastern Atlantic Basin
Most tows used a 1m net (0.785m2) with 333µm mesh; tows 028, 032 and 036 deployed a 2m net (2.630m
2) with 1000μm mesh. Tow length
calculated using distance between successive minutes' GPS positions; tow volume from tow length and net area. Zooplankton density recorded as
wet volume displacement per tow volume (ml/m3). During station 033, the MN was attached to the styrocast and therefore drifted only.
21
Table 6b: Meter net biological data for C267 (continued). Station locations as in Table 2.
Station
Number
(C267-)
Phyllosoma
(#)
Leptocephali
(#)
Halobates
(#)
Myctophids
(#)
Plastic
Pellets (#)
Plastic
Pieces (#) Tar (#)
Nekton
>2cm (mL)
Gelatinous
>2cm (mL)
002-MN 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 33.5 0.0
006-MN 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 9.3 321.0
011-MN 0 4 0 1 0 1 0 2.3 48.2
015-MN 0 2 0 6 0 0 0 6.1 3.5
019-MN 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 7.0 250.2
023-MN 0 0 0 11 0 0 0 9.6 0.3
028-2MN 0 2 0 47 0 1 0 10.4 65.4
032-2MN 0 0 0 9 0 0 0 9.0 230.0
033-MN 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 20.0 69.5
036-2MN 0 0 0 8 0 0 0 19.0 2.0
Eel larvae (leptocephali), spiny lobster larvae (phyllosoma), marine water striders (halobates) and Lantern fish (myctophids) sorted from net
contents and counted. Micronekton and gelatinous micronekton removed using a 333 um mesh sieve; biovolume (ml) recorded. Qualitative
descriptions of micronekton removed from zooplankton biomass are available. Floating plastic and tar removed from net contents, sorted and
recorded as numbers collected per tow.
Abbreviations for zooplankton categories in Tables 7a and 7b: Cnid – cnidarian medusa; Siph – siphonophore bracts and floats; Cten –
ctenophores; Pter – pteropods; Nud - nudibranchs; Other Snail – pelagic snails; Ceph – cephalopods; Poly – polychaetes; Chaet – chaetognaths;
Cop – copepods; Gam Amp – gammarid amphipods; Hyp Amp – hyperiid amphipods; Crab (larv) – Crab zoea and megalops; Shr (larv) – shrimp
larval stage; Lob (larv) – lobster larval stage; Mys – mysids; Euph – euphausiids; Stom (larv) – stomatopod larval stage; Ost – ostracods; Clad –
cladocerans; Iso – isopods; Salp – salps and doliolids; Fish (larv) - larval fish.
22
Table 7a: Zooplankton 100 count data for C267. Station locations as in Table 2.
Station
Number
(C267-)
Cnid Siph Cten Pter Nud Other
Snail Ceph Poly Chaet Cop
Gam
Amp
Hyp
Amp
Crab
(larv)
001-NT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 83 4 0 4
002-MN 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0
002-NT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 97 0 2 0
003-NT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 93 1 1 0
004-NT 0 0 0 0 7 0 0 0 0 62 0 31 0
005-NT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 12 9 72 0
006-MN 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 84 0 10 0
006-NT 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 74 0 13 1
008-NT 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 68 1 4 0
009-NT 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 66 0 3 1
010-NT 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 73 0 1 0
011-MN 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 88 0 1 0
011-NT 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 5 79 0 1 1
012-NT 0 8 0 1 0 2 0 0 1 48 0 2 0
013-NT 0 1 0 3 0 0 0 0 2 31 10 6 0
014-NT 0 1 0 4 0 1 0 0 14 76 0 0 0
015-MN 0 5 0 2 0 1 0 0 3 73 0 2 0
015-NT 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 81 0 3 1
016-NT 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 90 0 1 0
017-NT 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 58 0 41 0
018-NT 0 0 0 8 0 0 0 0 0 1 6 12 0
019-MN 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 3 75 2 5 0
020-NT 0 25 1 1 0 8 0 0 3 40 0 4 2
021-NT 0 4 0 0 0 6 0 0 1 80 1 3 0
019-NT 0 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 76 1 1 0
022-NT 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 6 0 0 0
023-MN 0 3 0 1 0 0 1 0 2 84 0 3 0
023-NT 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 2 74 0 19 2
024-NT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 95 0
025-NT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 92 0
026-NT 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 2 53 0 42 0
027-NT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 6 0 94 0
23
Table 7a: Zooplankton 100 count data for C267. Station locations as in Table 2.
Station
Number
(C267-)
Cnid Siph Cten Pter Nud Other
Snail Ceph Poly Chaet Cop
Gam
Amp
Hyp
Amp
Crab
(larv)
028-2MN 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 1 0 62 0 0 0
028-NT 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 17 69 0 10 0
029-NT 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 28 0 1 0
030-NT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 26 0 1 0
031-NT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 95 0 4 0
032-2MN 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 72 2 1 0
032-NT 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 18 1 19 1
033-MN 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 7 69 0 13 0
034-NT 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 92 0 3 1
035-NT 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 27 7 1 0
036-2MN 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 26 0 71 0
036-NT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 90 0 8 0
037-NT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 95 0 0 0
038-NT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 77 0 21 0
039-NT 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 26 0 71 0
040-NT 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 79 0 19 0
041-NT 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0 0 73 0 16 6
042-NT 0 0 0 15 0 0 0 0 0 16 0 24 15
043-NT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 88 0 0 1
24
Table 7b: Zooplankton 100 count data for C267 (continued).
Station
Number
(C267-)
Shr
(larv)
Lob
(larv) Mys Euph
Stom
(larv) Ostr Clad Iso Salp
Fish
(larv)
Fish
eggs Other
Shannon-Weiner
Diversity Index
001-NT 0 0 1 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 5 0 0.32
002-MN 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00
002-NT 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.07
003-NT 0 0 2 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.16
004-NT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.37
005-NT 0 0 1 4 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0.42
006-MN 0 0 2 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.27
006-NT 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 4 3 0 1 0 0.41
008-NT 1 0 3 3 0 8 0 1 0 3 0 0 0.59
009-NT 0 0 8 3 0 0 0 0 18 1 0 0 0.49
010-NT 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 1 5 1 6 5 0.50
011-MN 0 0 2 9 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.20
011-NT 0 0 0 8 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0 0.36
012-NT 2 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 19 2 10 1 0.72
013-NT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 46 0 0 0 0.61
014-NT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 2 0 0 0.37
015-MN 0 0 0 0 0 9 0 0 4 1 0 0 0.47
015-NT 0 1 0 6 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.35
016-NT 1 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 2 0 0 0 0.21
017-NT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.32
018-NT 0 0 3 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0.70
019-MN 0 0 0 7 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.44
020-NT 0 0 0 1 0 3 0 1 5 3 2 1 0.82
021-NT 0 0 1 0 0 2 0 0 0 2 0 0 0.38
019-NT 0 0 5 0 12 0 0 0 0 0 8 0 0.55
022-NT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0.59
023-MN 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0.31
023-NT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.36
024-NT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.09
025-NT 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0.16
026-NT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.38
027-NT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.10
25
Table 7b: Zooplankton 100 count data for C267 (continued).
Station
Number
(C267-)
Shr
(larv)
Lob
(larv) Mys Euph
Stom
(larv) Ostr Clad Iso Salp
Fish
(larv)
Fish
eggs Other
Shannon-Weiner
Diversity Index
028-2MN 0 0 24 0 0 10 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.44
028-NT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0.41
029-NT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.16
030-NT 0 0 0 0 0 0 75 0 0 0 0 0 0.27
031-NT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0.10
032-2MN 0 0 0 3 7 1 6 0 3 0 0 0 0.49
032-NT 0 0 0 0 1 0 59 0 0 0 0 0 0.49
033-MN 6 0 3 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.47
034-NT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0.16
035-NT 0 0 0 0 0 20 0 3 0 0 0 0 0.57
036-2MN 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.31
036-NT 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.16
037-NT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0.04
038-NT 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.27
039-NT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.30
040-NT 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.26
041-NT 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.38
042-NT 0 0 0 0 0 0 30 0 0 0 0 0 0.68
043-NT 0 0 0 0 0 0 10 0 0 1 0 0 0.19
26
Table 8: Surface Phytoplankton net data for C267. Station locations as in Table 2.
Station
Number
(C267-)
Date Time
(Local)
Sea Surface
Temperature
(°C)
Chlorophyll
Fluorescence
(volts)
Salinity
(psu) General Locale
Sample
Type Diatom % Dinoflagellate %
001-PN 6-Jun-16 1028 10.7 1475.0 32.24 New England Shelf Drifted 5 95
003-PN 7-Jun-16 1017 11.2 957.0 32.08 New England Shelf Drifted 1 99
005-PN 8-Jun-16 1043 12.6 837.0 32.23 New England Shelf Drifted 6 94
007-PN 9-Jun-16 1053 20.0 659.0 35.90 Western Atlantic Basin Drifted 75 25
008-PN 10-Jun-16 1055 19.9 788.0 35.74 Western Atlantic Basin Drifted 81 19
010-PN 11-Jun-16 1047 24.2 700.0 36.33 Western Atlantic Basin Drifted 90 10
012-PN 12-Jun-16 1059 23.0 592.0 36.19 Western Atlantic Basin Drifted 98 2
014-PN 13-Jun-16 1046 23.0 569.0 36.18 Western Atlantic Basin Drifted 97 3
016-PN 14-Jun-16 1016 16.1 684.0 34.98 Western Atlantic Basin Drifted 91 9
018-PN 15-Jun-16 1030 11.1 1254.0 33.09 Western Atlantic Basin Drifted 41 59
020-PN 16-Jun-16 1012 18.8 1184.0 36.45 Western Atlantic Basin Drifted 60 40
022-PN 17-Jun-16 1033 13.8 704.0 33.67 Western Atlantic Basin Drifted 60 40
025-PN 19-Jun-16 1012 14.4 1576.0 35.40 Western Atlantic Basin Drifted 56 44
Table 9: Dip net data for C267. Station locations as in Table 2.
Station
Number
(C267-)
Date Time
(Local)
Sea Surface
Temperature
(°C)
Chlorophyll
Fluorescence
(volts)
Salinity
(psu) Location Sargassum Species & Mass (g)
010-DN 11-Jun-16 1110 24.4 36.29 675.0 Western Atlantic Basin S. natans VIII – 8 fragments – 49.5g
27
Table 10: Student Oceanographic Research Projects for C267
Myctophid Abundance and Distribution Across the Western
North Atlantic
Brianna Cahill, Ian Kasaitis and
Ian Selig
An Analysis of Water Mass Characteristics in the North
Atlantic Sarah Nickford and Emma Guyot
Variability of Phytoplankton Abundance and Community
Composition in the North Atlantic
Kaylie Plumb, Mary Christman
and Kiara Reed
Distribution of Plastic Particle Size in the North Atlantic Katie Armstrong and Katie Sipple
28
Student Oceanographic Research Project Abstracts
Myctophid Abundance and Distribution Across the Western North Atlantic – Brianna Cahill, Ian Kasaitis
and Ian Selig
Myctophids are an abundant fish that comprise 65% of the fish biomass within the mesopelagic
community. One important feature of myctophids that is that their bodies are scattered with light-
producing organs that bioluminesce when stimulated. Significantly, these organisms vertically migrate
through the water column each night. Myctophids move up through the water column, via the use of their
swim bladder, to within meters of the air-sea surface interface in order to feed on the zooplankton present
within the upper layers. Unlike some mesopelagic species, little is known about the environmental
conditions that myctophids prefer. In order to attempt to understand these movements, water temperature,
salinity, pH and chlorophyll-a concentration were analyzed both at the surface and at depth. In addition to
analyzing these chemical conditions, neuston net tows were completed at the air-sea interface and meter
net tows to depths between 70-170 meters along a Trans-Atlantic cruise track. Chlorophyll-a,
temperature, and salinity were all positively correlated with myctophid abundance; geography and depth
were important for species diversity because water masses differed throughout the voyage.
An Analysis of Water Mass Characteristics in the North Atlantic – Sarah Nickford and Emma Guyot
Water masses flow throughout the world’s oceans, characterized by their temperature and salinity.
Habitats for marine life, these bodies of waters store evidence for climate change. This study, performed
during a Trans-Atlantic crossing from Woods Hole, Massachusetts to Cork, Ireland, analyzed the water
masses and surface currents encountered along the C267 cruise track. Their location and boundaries were
identified with the use of the temperature and salinity values acquired by CTD casts and hourly surface
flow-through system of the SSV Corwith Cramer. The three main water masses identified were the
Western North Atlantic Central Water, the Western Atlantic Subarctic Intermediate Water, and the
Labrador Sea Water, along with the region of water following the continental shelf. All but one CTD cast
followed the expected patterns, with the reason behind this inconsistency still unknown. The main
currents detected were the Gulf Stream, the Labrador Current, and the North Atlantic Current. This study
also examined the Labrador Current as a case study, using temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen
data from the past decade to determine the trend of the current as it changed over time. The Labrador
Current was found to have decreased in all three of these characteristics, which is speculated to coincide
with climate change.
Variability of Phytoplankton Abundance and Community Composition in the North Atlantic – Kaylie
Plumb, Mary Christman and Kiara Reed
Phytoplankton abundance and community composition were measured on a Trans-Atlantic crossing in the
North Atlantic. They were compared to pH, nitrate and phosphate concentrations, chlorophyll-a
concentrations, and temperature. Dinoflagellates were found to increase with decreasing pH, while
chlorophyll concentrations exhibited a stronger relationship with geographic region. As the Gulf Stream
and North Atlantic Drift were crossed, nutrient ratios, measured by the Redfield ratio, fluctuated
significantly. Favorable nutrient levels corresponded with diatom-dominated communities and were
directly proportional, although less saliently, with total chlorophyll-a levels. Deviations from the optimal
nutrient ratio correlated with communities dominated by large phytoplankton. Phytoplankton seemed to
be grouped more by region than by water temperature, although there was a strong correlation between
community composition and water temperature. Overall, it appears that geographic region may have the
strongest effect on phytoplankton abundance and community composition.
29
Distribution of Plastic Particle Size in the North Atlantic – Katie Armstrong and Katie Sipple
The durability of plastics, which are often manufactured for repeated use instead of disposal, makes them
a persistent marine pollutant that may remain in the ocean for millennia. Neuston tows conducted on the
S.E.A. C267 Trans-Atlantic Crossing cruise track from Woods Hole, MA to Cork, Ireland between June
2nd
and June 30th, 2016 were analyzed for plastic debris presence, type, surface area and greatest caliper
length. Data from the North Atlantic Subtropical Gyre was used for comparison purposes, including data
from C237 and C243 cruise tracks. Plastics were found in 69.2% of the 26 C267 Neuston tows analyzed
for size data and 51.4% of the total of 35 Neuston tows completed on the voyage. A difference was
observed between plastic density in coastal and non-coastal tows, with greater densities found in non-
coastal waters. Plastic fragments and lines were the most abundant plastics in both coastal and non-coastal
areas. No clear correlation between greatest caliper length and location was found. Differences in the
mean surface areas of coastal and non-coastal plastic debris were not statistically significant, suggesting
overall similarities in the sizes of plastics caught. However, plastic particles from gyre data had smaller
surface areas overall, which may be due to increased residence times and therefore increased chemical
breakdown.
