R/V BILIM  LEG-2 Cruise
Duration of the cruise: 22 Sept.-30 Sept. 1999

(8826 bytes)  This field work in the Black Sea was realised performing the objectives of the joint programme between Harvard University-Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology/USA and Middle East Technical University-Institute of Marine Sciences/TURKEY. The main task of this programme is to characterise the nitrogen dynamics in order to understand what factors are responsible for temporal and spatial patterns in the nitrogen cycle that have bearing on the overall functioning of the Black Sea ecosystem. This joint programme entitled as “New Production and Nitrogen Cycling in the Black Sea” supported by NSF/USA has started on 1 January 1998 and its duration is two years. Director of the Project is Prof. James J. McCarthy (Harvard/USA) and Co-director is Prof.Ilkay Salihoglu (METU-IMS/TURKEY). This programme is in conjunction with the METU-IMS’s national programme entitled as “Dynamics of the Lower Trophic Levels of the Black Sea: Biochemical Processes and System Modeling” supported by TÜBITAK (Turkish Scientific Research Council)/TURKEY which is long term (five years) programme started in January 1997.

  This joint research programme in the Black Sea is also scientifically relevant and parallel to the recently proposed NATO Project entitled as “The Black Sea Ecosystem Processes, Prediction and Operational Data Managements”. This Project involves the scientific research needed to lay the foundations for a permanent observations and prediction system for the Black Sea.(10045 bytes)

  The research pertinent to the collaborative activities between Harvard University and METU-Institute of Marine Sciences started on January 1, 1998 and the third and last field work conducted aboard R/V Bilim (METU-IMS) in September 1999.

  The 2nd Leg started on 22 September 1999 and ended on 30 September 1999. Three long stations (one in the Sakarya canyon region, one in the western side of Sinop, in the Rim Current and one in the eastern gyre) were visited during this leg. These stations are marked with filled circles on scheme. The station(s) planned in the western Black Sea could not be visited due to the very harsh weather conditions. R/V Bilim returned to the Bosphorus and she waited for the opportunity of good weather till 3 October 1999 and then the 2nd Leg was terminated. R/V Bilim visited 6 different stations for short periods during this Leg. One extra station was performed in the western deep basin during the 3rd Leg.

Location of the stations for the R/V Bilim LEG-2 Cruise

Bilim-Sep-99 leg2 map

The general information on the stations (Bridge Protocol)

Date

Arrival Departure
(GMT)

 Location Coordinates Station* Total Depth(m) Air Pres. Air Temp. Wind Speed (knot) Wind Direction Notes
23.09.1999-24.09.1999 05:55 23:30 W.Black Sea
(Off Sakarya)		 41° 31' N
30° 59' E		 L31M59 1450 1024.2 22 10 NE  
25.09.1999 22:50 23:09 E.Black Sea (E. Cyclone) 42° 33' N
35° 45' E		 M33S45 2000 1025.3 20 - - (Only CTD)
26.09.1999 01:30 01:52 E.Black Sea (E. Cyclone) 42° 39' N
36° 15' E		 M39T15 1850 1025.1 20 - - (Only CTD)
26.09.1999-27.09.1999 04:23 21:00 E.Black Sea (E.Cyclone) 42° 45' N
36° 45' E		 M45T45 2100 1025.7 20 - -  
28.09.1999 06:45 07:02 E. of Sinop 42° 01' N
35° 15' E		 M01S15 70 1019.8 24 15 SE (Time Series)
28.09.1999 07:40 08:10 E. of Sinop 42° 05.8' N
35° 13.8' E		 M05.8S13.8 250 1020 26 - - (Time Series)
28.09.1999-29.09.1999 10:38 00:25 W. of Sinop 42° 15' N
34° 45' E		 M15R45 400 1018.4 30 17 SE  
29.09.1999 19:08 19:16 Off Sakarya 41° 45' N
31° 00' E		 L45N00 1550 1014.4 22 - - (Only N2 Fix)
30.09.1999 04:40 08:50 W. Black Sea 41° 34' N
29° 12' E		 L34L12 650 1017.6 22 12 N (Cancelled)
30.09.1999 08:50 08:55 W. Black Sea 41° 22.6' N
29° 08.75' E		 L22.6L08.75 - 1018.9 25 16 N (Only N2 Fix)

Stations written in BOLD character are the main long stations.

Cruise materials are available here.

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