Today is a day for final preparations and practice procedures while the PSO finalises the work plans to ensure the various groups of scientists and technicians will get the samples they need at the times they need them.
The principal task for the cruise is to recover the suite of moorings deployed a year ago at PAP, and then redeploy new moorings, but between those activities there are a host of other studies being carried out by different sets of investigators. Multiple seawater samples will be taken at multiple depths from CTD dips and also from the continuous supply pumped directly from the surrounding ocean.
The moorings carry sensors to record sea temperature, nutrients, productivity and meteorological variables all year round, but the in-depth studies which will be carried on over the next few days will be used to add extra value to the mooring data, as well as answer specific scientific questions. Samples will be taken of the sediments in the seabed, microbes will be counted and nets deployed to look at slightly larger fauna, and all the samples taken will be processed, and some analysed.
It is going to get very busy here once we arrive at the site.