R/V Wecoma Research Cruise - September 2008

Chief Scientists: Murray Levine,Tim Cowles, and Steve Pierce
Research Vessel: R/V Wecoma
Cruise Plan: Download cruise plan (.doc)

 Chief Scientist: Murray Levine
Sept. 13-16 Newport to Newport
Blog

Chief Scientist: Tim Cowles
Sep. 17-23 Newport to Astoria
Blog

Chief Scientist: Steve Pierce
Sept. 24-Oct 1 Astoria to Newport
Blog

Project Description This research cruise targeted the late summer season, and it addressed a broad range of research goals.

1. Monitor long-term variability in the shelf, plume, estuary, river system by re-occupying a grid of core stations that have been sampled over the past few years. The regions of interest are the Oregon and Washington shelf and slope, and the Columbia River system including the plume and estuary. The variables of interest that can be measured from a CTD frame include: T, S, chlorophyll fluorescence, light transmission, nitrate, dissolved oxygen. Water samples will be taken to measure: membrane lipids, DNA- and RNA-based microbial community analysis, bacterial production, primary production, and water chemistry.

2.Make additional measurements in areas around the core stations to provide a broader picture of the ocean to river system and a context for interpreting the core stations. These measurements include: CTDs, underway ADCP, the continuous surface flow seawater system.

3. Explore the high horizontal gradients between the shelf, plume and estuary. Measurements may include: CTD tow-yo’s, over-the-side boom-mounted 600 kHz ADCP, and possibly Tim Cowles Slow-drop system.

4. Make observations in support of the numerical modeling effort. Shipboard sampling will be directed by results from model now-casts and forecasts. These feature tracking exercises will help to check and verify the models.

5. Make measurements to check the calibration of the fixed SATURN observation stations in the Columbia River.