CSIR - National Institute of
Oceanography, Regional centre,
visakhapatnam
CRUISE REPORT
RV SINDHU SANKALP – 063
(9 - 17 March 2014)
Meso-cosm experiments and time series observations at
off Visakhapatnam, east coast of India
Chief Scientist
Dr. Sri Rama Krishna
1
List Participants:
S.No.
Name
Designation (ID) & Place of working
1.
Dr. M. Sri Rama Krishna
Scientist (1249), NIO-RCV
2.
Dr. T.N.R. Srinivas
Scientist (1253), NIO-RCV
3.
Mr. C.K. Sherin
JRF (83043), NIO-RCV
4.
Mr. M.H.K. Prasad
PA III (83366), NIO-RCV
5.
Mr. R. Viswanadham
PA II (82998), NIO-RCV
6.
Mr. G. Srikanth
PA II (82958), NIO-RCV
7.
Mr. D. Harsa Bardhan
PA II (83399), NIO-RCV
8.
Mr. D. Bhaskara Rao
PA II (83300), NIO-RCV
9.
Mr. U. Satya Narayana
PA II (83011), NIO-RCV
10.
Mr. S. H. Rama Krishna Janadeo
PA II (83223), NIO-RCV
11.
Mr. M. Santosh Kumar
PA I (82999), NIO-RCV
12.
Mr. V. Sasikanth
TA (1263), NIO, Goa
13.
Mr. M. Kallathian
TA (1278), NIO, Goa
2
Ships Complement
S. No.
Name
Designation
1
Capt. A. K. Singh
Captain
2
Mr. Alwyn Gray Stephen
Chief Officer
3
Mr. P. Kaliamurthi
Second Officer
4
Mr. R. Gurusamy
Chief Engineer
5
Mr. P. Rajaraman
Second Engineer
6
Mr. P. Palaniswamy
Chief Cook
3
Itenary of the vessel:
Name of vessel
RV SINDHU SANKALP
Cruise No.
SSK 063
Port of Embarkation
VISAKHAPATNAM
Date & time of Embarkation
9th March 2014; 17.00 Hrs.
No. of Scientists participated
13
Region
Off Visakhapatnam, Bay of Bengal
Operations performed
CTD (Rosette), Meso-cosm experiment,
Time series experiment, Zoo Plankton net,
FRRF profiling
Types sample collected
Water and particulate matter, phyto and
zooplankton
Parameters studied
DO, Total Chlorophyll, HPLC pigments, pH,
alkalinity, Carbohydrates, Amino acids and
Proteins (CAP), POC, TOC, Nutrients, DMS,
N2O, CH4, DIC,
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CDIC, Phytoplankton,
Zooplankton, TBC, TVC
No. of Stations
2
Name of Chief Scientist
Dr. M. Sri Rama Krishna
Name of Dy. Chief Scientist
Dr. T. N. R. Srinivas
Port of Disembarkation
VISAKHAPATNAM
4
Date & Time of Disembarkation
17th March, 2014; 10:00 Hrs
Equipment brought from the NIO, Regional Centre, Visakhapatnam
S. No.
Name (No.)
Make
1.
Potentiometer (2)
Metrohm
2.
Underway pCO2 system (1)
General Oceanics
3.
Filtration pumps (2)
Millipore
4.
C.T.D (1)
Sea Bird
5.
Ultra Filtration system (1)
Millipore
6.
Anaerobic chamber (1)
Coy laboratories
7.
Gas Chromatograph (1)
Agilent Technologies
8.
FRRF System (1)
Chelsea Technologies
9.
Meso-cosm tanks (4)
Local
Objective: To understand the influence of physical processes such as upwelling,
convective mixing and eddy mixing on the coastal ecosystem and associated
biogeochemical processes through in-situ meso-cosm tank experiments and timeseries observations.
Sampling and Observations:
The main objective of our study is to conduct in-situ meso-cosm experiments
with altered nutrient conditions by adding 100m and 175m deep nutrient rich water to
that of surface water in large meso-cosm tanks of 1000 L capacity.
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1.
Meso-cosm tanks of 1000L capacity (3 Nos.) were deployed with the help
of A-frame and filled with surface water in the region. 200L of 175m deep
water was added to one tank, 240L of 100m deep water was added to the
second tank and no-deep water was added to the third tank which will be
considered as a control.
2.
Initial sampling (before and after mixing with deep water) was done for all
biogeochemical parameters such as dissolved oxygen, Total Chlorophyll,
HPLC pigments, pH, alkalinity, Carbohydrates, Amino acids and Proteins
(CAP), POC, TOC, Nutrients, DMS, N2O, CH4, DIC, 13CDIC, Phytoplankton,
Zooplankton, TBC, TVC etc at a standard depths of 0M, 5M, 10M, 25M,
50M, 100M and 150M below the surface.
3.
Samples for all biogeochemical parameters mentioned above were collected
daily twice (6.00 AM and 6.00 PM) for four days from the 3 meso-cosm
tanks.
4.
In addition to the meso-cosm experiment, we have also conducted a time
series experiment at off Visakhapatnam for one day.
5.
During time series experiment samples were collected for dissolved oxygen,
Total Chlorophyll, HPLC pigments, pH, alkalinity, Carbohydrates, Amino
acids and Proteins (CAP), POC, TOC, Nutrients, DMS, N2O, CH4, DIC,
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6.
CDIC, Phytoplankton, Zooplankton, TBC, TVC etc. For every four hours.
Zooplankton net was towed from 150m deep to surface and 50m deep to
surface as well in two different casts.
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7.
The profiling of FRRF system was done up to 100m deep for every four
hour interval. Two different casts of light and dark were taken every
interval during day time.
8.
For every two hours interval, CTD along with dissolved oxygen,
temperature, salinity and chlorophyll sensors was deployed up to 150m
water column depth.
9.
Continuous measurement of pCO2 was done along the ship track using
underwater pCO2 system
10.
13
C primary productivity was done during time series and meso-cosm
experiment using light and dark bottles with addition of
13
NaHCO3, deck
incubation and filtration after incubation.
11.
For POC and pigments 4L of water sample was filtered.
12.
Dimethyl Sulfide (DMS) was analyzed on board after collecting from time
series
and
also
from
meso-cosm
experiment
tanks
using
Gas
Chromatograph.
13.
Phytoplankton nutrient uptake experiment was done by incubating the water
samples on deck after addition of 15NH3 and 15NO3, and filtration every 4 hr
interval for 3 times (during day time).
14.
Microzooplankton samples were collected from the water samples (after
collecting mesozooplankton) by filtering with 10 µM filter from mesocosm
experiment tanks.
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15.
Collected samples from monthly transect stations (V4-V6) to know
different biogeochemical characteristics of the water near shore off
Visakhapatnam.
Parameters measured on board:
1. Physical Parameters
1. Salinity, Temperature, Depth, Density, PAR, Fluorescence, Turbidity (by
sensors)
2. Fast repetition rate flourometry (FRRF System)
3. Underwater pCO2 system
2. Chemical Parameters:
1. DO – Potentiometric titration method (Metrohm auto-titrator)
2. pH –Titration method
3. Total Alkalinity – Titration method
4. Dimethyl Sulfide (DMS) – GC method
3. Biological Parameters (Only filtration)
1. Chlorophyll-a
2. Phaeopigments
3. Particulate Organic Carbon
4. Primary Productivity:
a) 13C primary productivity in light and dark bottles.
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Parameters to be measured at shore laboratory:
1. Chemical Parameters:
1. Dissolved Inorganic carbon (DIC) - Coulometer
2. Dissolved Inorganic Nutrients (Nitrate, Nitrite, Ammonia, Phosphate, Silicate)
– Manual (Spectrophotometric) (Grasshoff et al., 1983).
3. Nitrous oxide - GC
4. Methane - GC
5.
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N (NO3 & NH4) - IRMS
6.
13
C DIC - IRMS
7. Carbohydrates, Amino acids, Proteins ( CAP) - Spectrophotometric
2. Biological Parameters:
1. Phytoplankton composition – Microscopic
2. Zooplankton composition – Microscopic
3. Total Viable Count (TVC) - Culturing
4. Total Bacterial Count (TBC) – Microscopic
5. Chlorophyll-a – HPLC
6. Phaeopigments – HPLC
7. Total Organic Carbon - TOC analyzer
8. Particulate Organic Carbon – IRMS
9. Primary Productivity:
a) 13C primary productivity in light and dark bottles - IRMS
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Expected Outcome:
 It is possible to understand the response of biology to different physical
processes such as upwelling, convective mixing and eddy mixing through
which processes nutrient-rich sub-surface water mixes with that of surface
water in the coastal ecosystem.
 Length and type of the food web can be delineated in the marine processes.
 Simultaneous time series experiments along with meso-cosm experiment
would provide a better understanding on various biogeochemical processes
operating in the region where meso-cosm tanks were deployed.
Acknowledgements
We thank the Director, CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Goa for providing
shipboard facilities on board Sindhu Sankalp to collect samples and to conduct time series
and meso-cosm experiments. We also thank the Scientist-In-Charge, CSIR-NIO, Regional
Centre, Visakhapatnam for his support and encouragement. We would like to thank, the
Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Govt. of India, New Delhi for financial
assistance in the form of a project (PSC 0105).
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