Plattform Platform	Reise-Nr. Cruise-No.	Zeitraum Period	Projekt Project	Arbeitsgebiet Working area
Meteor	M84-5	31.05.2011 - 21.06.2011		Bay of Biscay

Fahrtleiter Chief Scientist	Institut Institute	Auslaufhafen Port of departure	Einlaufhafen Port of return	Stationskarte Station map	Schiffsroute Trackchart
Flogel Sascha	Leibniz-Institut fur Meereswissenschaften an der Universitat Kiel	Vigo	Brest

Ziel der Reise / Objectives of Cruise:

Leg 5 of cruise M84 will investigate the environmental conditions of recent and fossil cold-water coral growth. We will use benthic lander systems and CTDs to explore the physical and hydrochemical characteristics of bottom water masses and analyse the distribution and occurrences of recent and fossil cold-water corals as well as their biological, chemical, and hydrographic boundary conditions. Previous studies have shown that parameters such as temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, current intensities, and different substrates may vary considerably without being the limiting control factor on the large-scale distribution of living cold-water coral communities. The goal of this cruise is to investigate the large-scale pattern of physical, chemical, and biological boundary conditions necessary for the growth of recent cold-water coral reef growth in the bay of Biscay thus closing important gaps in our existing data sets along the African and European continental margin, qualitatively and quantitatively. To study the boundary conditions of thriving coral communities we will use the following methodologies: hydroacoustics, CTD, ADCP, biogeochemistry, geology/sedimentology, and biology. We will place an emphasis on the exploration of new occurrences of cold-water coral reefs. A second focus of this cruise is the evolution of the radiogenic Neodymium (Nd) isotope signature of Mediterranean Outflow (MOW) water along its flow path in the Bay of Biscay and the potential influence of weathering contributions from land. Since Nd has a residence time of 400-2000 years in the ocean, water masses are labelled with a certain Nd isotopic signature in their source region. Subsequent mixing of water masses in the ocean can be reconstructed using the Nd isotope signature. The planned cruise track in the Bay of Biscay is a unique opportunity to simultaneously study water mixing on the one hand and the influence of exchange processes between the open ocean and the shelves on the other.

Messungen / Measurements

Verankerungen / Moorings