An integrated study in the northern Caspian Sea: The 30th voyage of the R/V Rift

Abstract

439 The 30th voyage of the R/V Rift was conducted on April 17–28, 2009. The main goal of the expedition was the comprehensive integrated exploration of the contemporary sedimentation system in the northern Caspian Sea in the mid spring season. The basic tasks involved measurements of the marine environmental features and the collection of relevant samples for the subsequent analysis and interpretation of the obtained data. Use was made of various techniques: CTD and ADCP profiling; the recording of currents with moor ing stations; optical observations with a Secci disk, a PUM transparency probe, a floating spectroradiome ter, and satellite data reception; hydrochemical deter minations of the О2, Si, and PO4; sedimentology (the aerosols, suspended matter, and pigments and the use of a Coulter counter); and marine biology (collecting samples of phyto and zooplankton). One of the main goals of the expedition was the lifting and mooring of subsurface buoy stations with sediment traps and “Potok” current meters. The route of the expedition and the stations’ positions are shown in Fig. 1.