Knorr Cruise 195-10

June 14-July 13, 2009

1.  Information review

Please review the following planning information for the 2009 summer BEST-BSIERP cruise (Knorr 195-10).  You may update the information relevant to your component in a couple of ways:

• Enter comments in a blog set up for public discussion of any aspect of the cruise
• Contact the Chief Scientist directly:
  Ray Sambrotto | 845-365-8402

 

This is a long page. Use the links below to "jump down" to specific sections of interest.

• Getting cargo to the ship and back
• Knorr operations information
• Ship equipment issues

2.  Background

This will be the fifth dedicated cruise for the BEST-BSIERP Bering Sea Project. Three spring cruises aboard the USCGC Healy will be completed by the time R/V Knorr 95-10 takes place: April-May of 2007, 2008 and 2009. These cruises focused on the conditions directly associated with the retreating ice edge.

The Knorr 95-10 cruise is the second BEST-BSIERP cruise to sample summer conditions on the eastern Bering Sea shelf. The first was Healy cruise 0803 that took place June-July, 2008. Although the eastern Bering is ice-free in summer, the presence of ice earlier in the year influences the subsequent development of physical and biological conditions. We hope to improve the understanding of these influences during KN 195-10, particularly for the northern shelf that was found to be still influenced by ice melt well into the summer during sampling in 2008.

The cruise will cover the entire shelf from the Aleutian Islands to St. Lawrence Island. A multidisciplinary sampling plan will be carried out that includes physical oceanography, a hydrographic survey that will collect discrete samples for a variety of chemical and biological analyses, zooplankton and ichthyoplankton net hauls, sediment sampling with a coring device, a variety of biological rate measurements that will be done in on-board incubators, the deployment and retrieval of sediment traps that require small boat operations, as well as a variety of underway observations both from autonomous instruments sampling the sea chest water and visual observation of birds and marine mammals form the bridge.

The overall science objective for the cruise is to further the aims of the BEST-BSIERP Bering Sea Project that seeks to understand the role of sea ice in the structure and regulation of biological populations on the eastern Bering Sea shelf, and in particular the invertebrate, fish and marine mammal populations of importance to people. The specific objectives for the KN 195-10 cruise will be to characterize summer conditions on the eastern shelf, particularly as they relate to the impact of the ice distribution from the prior winter. This includes the seasonal evolution of the nutrient and phytoplankton fields, as well as the distribution and abundance of the zooplankton and ichthyoplankton.

View the Knorr cruise synopsis on the WHOI planning website.

3.  Getting cargo to the ship and back

The use of two different ships for the 2009 season has greatly complicated shipping.  Carin Ashjian, Ray Sambrotto, Phyllis Stabeno, Tom Van Pelt, Knorr and Healy staff, and the Dutch Harbor shipping agents have formed a planning team that is actively working on this.  The basic plan is:

• move Knorr-bound cargo up to Dutch Harbor on the Healy
• offload Knorr cargo in Dutch Harbor after HLY0902 finishes
• store Knorr cargo in Dutch Harbor during the month interval between HLY0902 and Knorr 195-10
• load Knorr upon arrival in Dutch
• offload cargo in Dutch Harbor after Knorr 195-10 finishes
• barge cargo back to Seattle.

** Please review the current plans below and post comments to the blog when appropriate. **  Details of the current plans are as follows:

• 3.1 Loading and Labeling   All participants are urged to have their gear loaded onto the Healy during our scheduled on-load on Feb. 24 in Seattle.  All cargo from the NOAA storage facility will be loaded at this time.  It is important that all of your cargo is properly identified for the Knorr Cruise 195-10 at this time.  Here are detailed instructions, letters A-D, below, borrowed from Carin Ashjian's instructions for Healy 09-02:

• A. Please send your cargo so that it arrives sometime in the 2 week window prior to February 25. It would be best if it arrived during the week of February 16, however this might not be possible.

• B.  Please label your cargo according to the following:

Cargo to be used on hly0901 is color coded “orange” (use orange duct tape)

Cargo to be used on hly0902 is color coded “blue”

Cargo to be used on both hly0901 and hly0902 gets both colors of tape.

• C. Label your cargo with your PI group and your cruise number. ALSO please label each piece as “Seattle Bound” (for cargo returning to Seattle after hly0902) OR “Knorr Bound” (for cargo to be offloaded in Dutch Harbor after hly0902 for the summer Knorr cruise)

• D.  Please make sure that you enter each item (a pallet can count as an item) on the cargo tracking form on icefloe. NOTE: If you are shipping hazardous materials, you MUST attach a pdf or equivalent of the MSDS to the entry on the cargo tracking form. This is in ADDITION to the MSDS that may (or may not) be inside the package.

• 3.2 Shipping alternatives  Small shipments to the Knorr can be made to one of several air-cargo services to Dutch, including Alaska Airlines.  The agent in Dutch (Alaska Maritime) may also be used.

• 3.3 Storage in Dutch Harbor  At the end of the Healy 0902 cruise, all appropriate gear will be off-loaded in Dutch for storage until the Knorr arrives.  Representatives from each of the research groups must be present to ensure a rapid transfer and the proper handling.  The storage details are currently unclear.  It will either be in containers or a warehouse.  We are also checking on insurance.

• 3.4 Hazmat  This is a major issue that is being actively worked on by the planning team.  As of now, no hazmat can be stored in Dutch Harbor.  This means that all the hazmat on the Healy will remain on the Healy and be off-loaded and properly disposed of by the responsible PI when the ship returns to Seattle in May.  Hazmat for the Knorr 195-10 cruise will need to be put aboard the Knorr either during her stop in San Diego or when she gets to Dutch.  Given the time constraints, THIS MAY RESULT IN TWO SEPARATE SHIPMENTS OF HAZMAT - 1 FOR THE Healy AND 1 FOR THE KNORR.  The disposal of hazmat from the Knorr then becomes a problem. The ability to dispose of hazmat in Dutch Harbor is unknown. It may be possible to work with the people at the University of Hawaii (the Knorr's next port of call) to dispose of the material in their waste handling system.

• 3.5 Off-loading in Dutch Harbor   Off-loading cargo from the Knorr after the cruise in Dutch will be complicated and representatives from each of the research groups must be present to ensure a rapid transfer and the proper handling.  There are 2 possible ways to get your cargo back after the Knorr 195-10 cruise: A) Air-freight it from Dutch; or B) Transfer it to container vans provided by NSF that will then be barged to Seattle for arrival in 2-3 weeks.

• 3.6 The material eventually returning to Seattle (either on the Healy or from the barge) must also be dealt with.  It can either be stored over the winter in the NOAA facility in Seattle to await the 2010 cruises, or trans-shipped to the appropriate place. How we handle this needs to be discussed further.

• 3.7 Bill Wiseman has agreed that NSF will pay for the expenses associated with cargo transfer between the Healy and the Knorr, and cargo return to Seattle by barge. 

4.  Knorr operations information

• 4.1   Station operations plan
• 4.2   Deck plan for the cruise
• 4.3   Hazmat and rad planning
  • Please review the hazardous and radioactive usage instructions for WHOI ships, and fill out the WHOI Hazardous Material Inventory Form for all of your relevant materials
• 4.4   Participant list
  • All rooms are for 2 persons, except for one with 4.
• 4.5   Documentation for cruise participants
  • Participants will need a TWIC or HSPD-12-compliant ID. Refer to TWIC information. This involves an online form, $132.50, and an appointment with the appropriate office. This should be started immediately. The HSPD 12 and PIV compliant NOAA badges are sufficient identification (as per Cheryl Hickey).
  • Passport information:
• 4.6  Payment for cruise expenses to WHOI
  • WHOI would like to set up a PO with each PI that will cover any cruise expenses that they or the people within their group may incur. These charges include any fees from the agent for shipping and handling, dry ice or other supplies that they may need, and any other services. The agent usually charges WHOI and they charge the PO. PIs can also use the PO to charge phone call from the ship or provide a credit card when they get onboard. Email should be free if the Highseas net is working. If the Hi-seas goes down or is unavailable then the routine shipboard email should email free unless people start to send large amounts or large files.
  • Please let Ray Sambrotto know if you want to set up a PO.
• 4.7  Shipboard and personal information
  • There are some safety and policy documents they want each of us to review.
  • Each participant needs to submit a personnel form and mail it to the address at the bottom of the form. You may want to review this personnel information before you fill out the form.

5.  Ship equipment issues

• 5.1  Equipment request form to WHOI
  • Responses to the WHOI cruise planning questionnaire, including equipment requests, can be viewed here
    
• 5.2  Cold weather/on-deck clothing
  • Unlike the Healy, the Knorr does not provide Mustang suits or other protective gear. All participants should provide for their specific needs (including steel toed boots for deck-board work).
• 5.3  Niskins
  • After discussions with WHOI and cruise participants, we plan to use a 24x10L rosette (viton o-rings and coated internal springs with a backup).
• 5.4  Nets
  • As per a discussion with David Fisichella, the MOCNESS will be fished from the .322 conducting cable. This cable will use a separate block on the starboard A-frame so that no transfers between the CTD will be needed. The CalVET nets will use a small winch or spool with the ability to record wire out. Deployment depths will be about 100 meters and the net weighs between 50 and 100 lbs (with the 45-95 lbs of lead borrowed from the ship).
  • Ring nets and Bongo net:
• 5.5  Mulitcore
  • Al Devol is working with Dave Fisichelli on this to identify technician and cruise needs.
• 5.6  DI system
  • A system will be provided that is capable of 170 L/d.
• 5.7  Sediment trap recovery
  • WHOI will provide a capable capstan for deployment and recovery and work with Pat Kelly on the recovery procedure.
• 5.8  Two science personnel from San Diego to Dutch
  • UCAR personnel. Anyone else?
• 5.9  Van Veen grab samples
  • Katrin Iken's person will bring a Van Veen grab.
• 5.10   Sea chest flow through system sensors
  • Will need to be cleaned regularly.
• 5.11   Van placements
  • BOW (02 deck)
    • WHOI Chem Van (port side)
    • WHOI RAD VAN (starboard side)
  • 01 Deck
    • Cold Van
    • CLEAN VAN (clean lab van)
  • Main Deck
    • Storage Van
• 5.12   Incubators
  • Science should supply all plumbing downstream from mains, including hose splitters and supply and drain hoses.
• 5.13   Salinometer
  • David Fisichella/SSSG will provide
• 5.14   O2 Titrator
  • Nancy/Science team will provide with bottles. SSSG/David Fisichella will provide a maximum of 6 standardizations.
• 5.15   Isotopes
  • Al Devol and Mike Lomas will coordinate with Ray Sambrotto regarding delivery and details to the ship AND disposal plans for Honolulu.

We built this page as a service for the Chief Scientist and all Knorr summer cruise participants. Please refer to the WHOI webpages for further information on the R/V Knorr.

The BEST-BSIERP Bering Sea Project is a six-year study of the Bering Sea ecosystem,
from the benthos and the atmosphere to human communities, and everything in between.
NORTH PACIFIC RESEARCH BOARD   NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

Contact the BEST-BSIERP Program Manager with project-related questions.
Contact the Multimedia Coordinator with website-related questions.


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