The Expedition ARK-XXII/1
Weekly Reports
2 June 2007: Coral Reefs under the Arctic Circle
10 June 2007: With the submersible JAGO at the coldwater coral reefs
17 June 2007: The Wonder from Traena
24 June 2007: Goodbyes and Welcome
1 July 2007: At the Håkon Mosby Mud Volcano
8 July 2007: Sampling with ROV QUEST
15 July 2007: From Longyearbyen to the "Hausgarten"
25 July 2007: Farewell to the "Hausgarten"
Expedition summary and itinerary
The RV Polarstern cruise ARK-XXII/1a-c contributes to the EU funded Integrated Project HERMES (Hotspot Ecosystem Research on the Margins of European Seas), aiming at research on ecosystems lying in the deeper ocean section in the context of the International Polar Year 2007/2008. It represents the first major attempt to understand European deep-water ecosystems and their environment in an integrated way (geosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere of a pan-European range). In particular, HERMES will focus on hot spots that are strongly physically mediated and associated with dynamic geological and/or hydrogeological structures, such as unstable slope systems, canyons, deep-water corals, cold seeps and anoxic microbial systems. These important systems need to be urgently studied because of their possible biological fragility, global relevance to carbon cycling and/or susceptibility to catastrophic events and to global change.
Cruise itinerary
29 May 2007 Departure Bremerhaven - cold water coral reefs off the Norwegian coast
21 June 2007 Arrival Tromsø
23 June 2007 Departure Tromsø - Håkon Mosby Mud Volcano
9 July 2007 Arrival Longyearbyen
10 July 2007 Departure Longyearbyen – Hausgarten site in Fram Strait
25 July 2007 Arrival Tromsø