Publication Date:
2023-11-06
Description:
The research cruise M187 with the RV METEOR sailed January 25 th to March 4 th 2023 from
Walvis Bay to Walvis Bay (Namibia), with a focus on investigating the biogeochemical gradients
that exist between the Benguela Upwelling zone and the South Atlantic Subtropical Gyre. In order
to achieve this, the two specific foci of the research cruise were to (i) track upwelling filaments as
they advect offshore and interact with the subtropical gyre, and (ii) perform a high-resolution
transect from upwelling sites to the subtropical gyre. On the research cruise, two filaments were
successfully mapped from cold water upwelling sites near or over the Namibian shelf through to
warmer waters offshore. This was followed by a transect of twelve stations outwards into the
subtropical gyre, reaching a maximum westward position of 5 °W. Sampling stations were
conducted to a maximum depth of 1000 m and involved an array of deployments to investigate the
biogeochemistry of the water column. Further nutrient addition bioassay experiments were
conducted throughout the research cruise to assess the nutrients (co-)limiting to phytoplankton
growth. Collectively our research will shed light on key mechanisms establishing the major
oceanic biogeochemical gradients between upwelling and subtropical gyre regions, so that they
can be included in models used to predict the impacts of climate change.
Type:
Report
,
NonPeerReviewed
Format:
text
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