Summary for Field Activity Number 1987-011-FA

Alternate Leg ID: 87-1

Area of Operations: Massachusetts Bay, Massachusetts, United States, North America, North Atlantic

Dates: April 08, 1987 to April 10, 1987

Objectives: Recover 3 tripod systems deployed in western Massachusetts Bay and conduct sidescan sonar surveys at each mooring location to define the local topography and bottom roughness.

Type of Activity: Equipment recovery, sonar surveying

Information to be derived: Equipment recovery and sidescan sonar survey

Summary: Instrumentation recovered from Feb. 7 OCEANUS cruise. All three tripods recovered unfouled, but time lapse cameras malfunctioned. Data from (2) 100 kHz sidescan sonar systems is very poor with only .50 km horizontal range and poor resolution. Lab testing of system is required. Short, hand-deployed cables did not allow fish to be flown close enough to the bottom. Subsurface mooring (#320) deployed at Station A in February was found adrift in Boston Harbor March 4. Current meter and float were recovered, but release was lost. Moorings recovered: 3 (#317, 318, and 319, deployed FA 87005 OCEANUS Feb. 7, 1987).

USGS Project Number: PTRACE

Contact: Brad Butman (bbutman@usgs.gov)

InfoBank: uses the identifier M-1-87-BH. Visit this site for more information.