Abstract
SO-234/1 was a training and capacity building cruise for students from southern Africa and Germany in the framework of the BMBF-funded SPACES program (Science for the Assessment of Complex Earth System Processes), a cooperative research project initiated by the relevant ministries in Namibia, South Africa, Angola and Germany. Scientifically, SO-234/1 continued geological studies regarding the temporal and geochemical evolution of the Walvis Ridge (Southeast Atlantic) conducted on the precursor SO-233 expedition, and was broadened by biological studies by University of Tubingen scientists, which aimed to get a better understanding of the adaptations of visual systems in mesopelagic animals to bioluminescence. The educational aspects on SO-234/1 comprised fully integration of the students into all scientific work on board and various lectures and courses given by the senior scientists during transit times. The working area of SO-234/1 included several seamounts, such as the Ewing Seamount, and a section of the southeastern margin of the Walvis Ridge. Due to the fair weather conditions and the excellent support from the master and crew, SO-234/1 completed 18 sampling stations within only four working days. Rock sampling has been conducted using chain bag dredges. The seven SO-234/1 dredge hauls recovered in situ rocks from up to 3,500 m water depth, among them fairly fresh lava fragments and volcaniclastic rocks suitable for volcanological, geochemical, and geochronological analyses. Additionally, a TV-grab station has been conducted at Ewing Seamount but the grab failed to return hard rocks. The group of biologists conducted ten trawls at depths between 400 and 1,000 m using a rectangular midwater Tucker Trawl with an opening of 16 square meters. All trawls were successful and brought numerous animals from the junction of the meso- and bathypelagic habitats including, apart from fishes, several cephalopods, crustaceans, deep-sea jellyfish, ctenophors and many salp colonies.
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