Agulhas and Somali Current Large Marine Ecosystem Project

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Agulhas and Somali Current Large Marine Ecosystem
Project
ASCLME Cruises
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Table of contents

• Objectives of this presentation
• Cruise plans
• 2008
• 2009
• 2010
• Scientific activities participation
• Outcomes and deliverables
• Training and capacity building
• Cruise planning requirements
• Items for discussion at Regional Forum

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2008 Overall cruise plan
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2008 Cruise Schedule
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Scientific Activities Ecosystem Approach

• Environmental stations
• Physical oceanography
• Chemical oceanography
• Biological oceanography
• Acoustic surveys to identify fish stocks and
  distributions
• Pelagic and demersal trawls Biodiversity
  assessment of fish, crustaceans and other
  invertebrates (genetic and isotope samples will
  be collected)
• Bathymetric survey Multibeam echosounder survey
  to develop detailed bathymetric map of the
  seafloor
• Bird and mammal survey Opportunistic study of
  bird mammals
• Genetic and isotope samples of fish and
  zooplankton
• Remote sensing

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Remote sensing
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Port visitsLaunch ceremony, reception tours
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Cruise 1 East Madagascar Current
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Cruise Calendar August 2008
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Cruise Calendar September 2008
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Cruise Calendar October 2008
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Cruise 2 Mauritius
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Cruise Calendar October 2008
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Cruise 3Leg 1MascarenePlateau
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Productivity of the Mascarene Basin

• Primary productivity (13C stable isotopes)
• Secondary production
• Zooplankton grazing experiments

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Cruise Calendar November 2008
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Cruise 3, Leg 2 Mascarene Plateau
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Scientific Activities Moorings

• 2 Atlas moorings deployed in Mascarene Basin,
  8S 55E and 12S 55E
• 4 Argo floats deployed in Mascarene Basin
• Numerous satellite drifters deployed along
  Mascarene Plateau and between Madagascar and
  Seychelles

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Cruise 4 Mozambique Channel
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Cruise 4 Scientific Rationale

• Mozambique Channel is unique in that there is no
  real Western Boundary Current residual flow
  eddies

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Cruise Calendar December 2008
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Scientific Participation 2008

• ACEP African Coelacanth Ecosystem Programme
• ASCLME Agulhas Somali Current Large Marine
  Ecosystem
• CNDRS Centre National de Données
  Océanographiques des Comores
• FAO Food and Agricultural Organisation
• IMR Institute of Marine Research, Norway
• ISAM Iziko-South African Museum
• MA-RE Marine Research Institute, UCT.
• MCM, DEAT Marine and Coastal Management
• NMMU Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University
• NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric
  Administration
• OMI Mauritius Oceanographic Institute
• SCMRT-MPA Seychelles Centre for Marine Research
  Technology
• SAEON South African Environmental Observation
  Network
• SAIAB South African Institute for Aquatic
  Biodiversity
• RU Rhodes University
• SFA Seychelles Fishing Authority
• UCT University of Cape Town
• UM University of Mauritius
• UP University of Pretoria

gt 100 scientists
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Outcomes Deliverables

• Deliverables from cruises will include
• Cruise reports
• Data reports
• Electronic inventories
• Scientific publications in peer reviewed
  international journals
• Training and capacity building

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Envisaged cruises for 2009
50 days booked on Nansen
1. East Africa Current Survey Kenya 3
Environmental lines Tanzania 4 Environmental
lines Mozambique 1 Environmental line 2.
Comoros Basin Survey 4-5 Environmental lines
moorings 3. Moorings
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Envisaged cruises for 2010

• 60 days available on R/V Dr Fridtjof Nansen
• West Madagascar Shelf
• Mozambique Shelf
• Fill data gaps
• 20 days on Nansen for
  research on seamounts
• 60 days on FRS Algoa
• Natal Bight
• Agulhas Bank
• 3 - 6 day training cruise

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Cruise planning requirements

• Cruises to be planned
• 2009 - URGENT
• 2010
• Discuss agree on
• Area of operation
• Research needs (gaps)
• Scientific workplan
• Scientific expertise/training required
• National Cruise Coordinators
• National COG
• National scientists
• Regional Cruise Coordinator PCU

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Training capacity building

• Training cruise
• ASCLME training programme
• Large research ships coastal craft
• Oceanography fisheries
• 2008 2 trainees from South Africa, Mozambique,
  Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles. Cape Town
• 2009 2 trainees from Tanzania, Kenya, Somalia
  and Comoros. Location ?
• On-board training on Dr Fridtjof Nansen
• ASCLME Research Cruises
• Scientists from region
• Oceanographic equipment

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Items for discussion at Regional Coordination
Forum (3 Oct 2008)

• Vessels
• Study areas
• Date and timing of expeditions
• In-situ instrumentation
• International participation in cruises
• Opportunities for ship-based training
• Deployment of instrumentation
• Use of global information resources
• Other.??

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Cruise Blogwww.asclme.org/cruise2008/blog