| dc.description.abstract | This cruise (onboard the RV G.O. Sars, 30.03.2023 to 12.04.2023 - 13 Days long starting and ending in Bergen, Norway) was focussed on surveying the coastal belt east of “Utsira Nord” (Utsira KB) and the two multibeam mapped areas close to “Sørlige Nordsjø II” (NSJ-1 and NSJ-2). These areas are of interest due to their proximity to the named offshore wind license areas and due to their overlap with “særlig verdiful områder” (SVO) which are areas of particular scientific and management interest. The MAREANO baseline mapping method was applied, but this cruise was focussed upon completing the video lines in these areas, and testing the munin+ AUV for data uses and the integration of AUVs into the Mareano method. In addition, the Oil Directorate asked for 2 gravity cores from areas with suspected natural oil leakage, and limited physical sampling equipment was taken for contingency use. One hundred and twenty reference stations were visited including completing 112 (225m long) video lines, along with 5 AUV missions (collecting EM2040, HISAS2040, SBP, CT, photo data). Furthermore, 8 CTDs, 5 Boxcores, 4 Multicores, 2 stations with grabs for checking if the gravity corer can be used (no proposed site had suitable substrate for gravity coring), and 2 stations with 5 replicate grabs each for biology/geology were completed. Topaz subbottom profiling (SBP) data was collected along and between video lines and all gravity corer proposed sites, with additional water column multibeam echosounder (EM302) data also collected over all the proposed gravity corer sites. Note that 3 video lines, 1 AUV mission and 2 CTD sites were within the fjords near stavanger (during poor weather) in areas where FOH granted declassificaiton for AUV activities. | |
