Ship Request

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  VENTS  -  2008  -  Global  
  Project Information  
Project Title: NOAA-VENTS Research Program on Undersea Hydrothermal Venting Systems Project Status: Submitted
Principal Investigator: Robert W. Embley, PMEL Project Institution: NOAA_PMEL
Project ID: 101122 Version #: 5
Date Submitted: 5/15/2007 3:27:00 PM Created By: Paul Kunicki
Date Last Modified: 2/17/2009 10:51:00 AM URI Serial #: None
Funding Agencies: NOAA - NONE - Funded
Summary of Field Work: Since 1984, NOAA’s VENTS Program has conducted a global program of exploration and chemical, biological, and geological research on volcanically hosted ecosystems in the deep sea. VENTS has pioneered the development of interactive observatories to document the evolution of such ecosystems on the decadal time scale. These investigations are supported with ~ $2M/yr of NOAA base funds, leveraged through collaborations with outside investigators. Following the layup of several large NOAA vessels on the west coast in the mid-1990s, VENTS has relied on a mix on NOAA and charter vessel support to accomplish its annual operations. Areas of recent focus are summarized below:

NE Pacific Process and Time Series Studies
The VENTS program has an interest in maintaining observatory-based time series experiments, discovering new hydrothermal and volcanic features, and responding to volcanic and tectonic events on the Juan de Fuca Ridge and other spreading centers in tne NE Pacific. To do this, the program will continue to need annual ship and submersible time in this region. Our initial priority in the NE Pacific is to maintain our time series work at the New Millenium Observatory (NeMO) at Axial Volcano, and the Neptune Observatory the Endeavour Segment of the Juan de Fuca Ridge. At both of these sites long-term (> 10 years) geodetic, chemical, and microbiological observations are underway. Ongoing observatory research activities include time-series sampling of specific hydrothermal vent sites for chemistry, microbial and vent fauna community structure; instrumental time-series sampling; high-precision depth survey at geodetic benchmarks; water-column plume time-series; and temperature monitoring. In addition to these time-series observations, the VENTS program is interested in discovering new hydrothermal and volcanic features in the NE Pacific. Some of these discoveries are expected to be associated with other work in the region, while others may be associated with volcanic and tectonic events that are likely to occur in this region over the next 5 to 10 years.

Western Pacific Exploration and Systematic Studies
VENTS expects to continue studies of volcanoes and hydrothermal systems of the Mariana arc, Lau Basin and other areas of the western and southern Pacific over the next five years. The ship and submersible time needs for this work could be as much as 21 days on station per year. Depending on ship availability, this could involve UNOLS, NOAA, or foreign vessels, as well as international collaborators. The long-term goals include exploration for new hydrothermal sites and features, process studies on unique environments (e.g. active volcanic eruption sites, liquid carbon dioxide vent sites), investigation of shallow hydrothermal sites, and extended monitoring of selected sites.

Maintenance of hydrophones
VENTS requires approximately 2 to 3 days of ship time per year to maintain recording hydrophones associated with the TAO buoy sites in the eastern tropical Pacific. The hydrophone array in the equatorial Pacific is used for identification of seafloor volcanic activity that may affect deep-sea hydrothermal ecosystems. Additionally, the hydrophones provide information on the distribution of Blue Whales via detection of the vocalization patterns. Blue Whales are a listed on the Marine Mammal Protection Act and are considered globally endangered. Ship time to support the hydrophone arrays is generally available when needed aboard NOAA vessels on TAO cruises.
Summary of Facility Requirements: Most VENTS cruises involve the use of JASON-II, ROPOS, or similar ROV for conducting dive operations, however the ALVIN manned submersible could also on occasion cover some of these requirements. Other cruise activities involving water column studies, seafloor mapping, and deployment/recovery of moorings and AUVs can also be accomplished on platforms not necessarily involving ROVs or manned submersible support.
Summary of other requirements and comments: Starting in 2008, the program’s intention is to migrate to an alternating annual sequence of cruises in the Juan de Fuca Ridge / NE Pacific region, with a significant ship/submersible expedition (10-15 days on station) alternating with a shorter-duration maintenance cruise (4-5 days) every other year. For 2008, a maintenance cruise opportunity (on collaborative/ancillary basis) will be sought in this region.
In correspondence with this alternating cruise pattern will be an effort to secure field time elsewhere, in particular within the western or southern Pacific areas of interest to the program (Mariana Arc and/or Lau Basin) as described above. If cruise time is unavailable in the Western Pacific, an exanded Eastern Pacific project may be conducted in coordination with the observatory maintenance cruise.
Ship Request Identification
Type of Request: Ancillary Request Status: Submitted
Request ID: 1001327 Created By: Paul Kunicki
Date Last Modified: 9/3/2008 6:02:00 PM Date Submitted: 5/15/2007 6:30:00 PM
Requested Ship, Operating Days and Dates
Year: 2008 Ship/Facility: Global
Optimum Start Date: 7/10/2008 Dates to Avoid: August 10 to September 2, 2008:
Need to avoid the period from August 10th to September 2nd, 2008 due to planned work in Iceland at that time. The best start date considering the time series and weather window would be July, but the work could also be done in June, or September.
 
 
Earliest Start Date: 6/1/2007 Multi-Ship Op: No
Latest Start Date: 7/25/2007 Other Ship(s):

Operating Days Needed: Science Days Mob Days De-Mob Days Estimated Transit Days Total Days
5 0 0 0 5
Repeating Cruise?
(within same year)
No Interval:   # of Cruises:  

Description of Repeating cruise requirements:
Justification/Explanation for ship choice, dates,
conflicts, number of days & multi-ship operations:
NeMO/Time Series maintenance:
5 days on station (Global class, e.g. Thompson or Atlantis) with ROV operations (ROPOS or Jason-II) to recover instruments at Endeavour and Axial Volcano (including intra-site transit time). The major goals for this work are to recover and re-deploy time-series samplers at the Main Endeavour Field (48°N) and at Axial Volcano (46°N) on the Juan de Fuca Ridge. Other required work is to collect samples for complete chemical and microbiological analysis from the time-series sampling sites, using the PMEL Hydrothermal Fluid and Particle Sampler and gas-tight samplers. Our proposal for this cruise is to use VENTS charter funds for the ship time and ROV time, and to combine the five requested days on station with another project to make a cruise of suitable length. Our work in 2008 may be compatible/combinable with that proposed by the following PIs (for example):
- Andrew T. Fisher
- McDuff / Wilcox
- Raymond W. Lee
- Daniela DiIorio
- Holden / Butterfield et. al. (pending)
Our preferred ship is the Thompson because of the deck layout for ROV operations.
Our preferred season is summer months for DP/ROV operations in the region.
Either the Jason-II or ROPOS ROV would be suitable for the work.
Work Area for Cruise
Short Description of Op Area
for use in schedules:
JDF Ridge
Description of Op Area: Endeavour Segment
Axial Seamount
Juan de Fuca Ridge
Op Area Size/Dia.:  
 
  Lat/Long Marsden Grid Navy Op Area
Beginning
48° N / 130° W map
158 map
NP09 map
Ending
46° N / 129° W map
157 map
NP09 map
  Show Degrees Minutes    
Foreign Clearance and Permitting Requirements
Foreign Clearance Required? Yes Coastal States:

Canada
 Important Info on Foreign Research Clearances  

Are you or any member in your science party bringing in any science equipment items which are regulated for export by the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (EAR)?
No If yes, have you applied for the necessary permits through your export control office? No
 Questions about ITAR/EAR regulations?

Comments about foreign clearance requirements or
description of any other special permitting requirements
(e.g., MMPA, ESA, IHA, Marine Sanctuaries, etc.)
Port Calls
Requested Start Port Intermediate Port(s) Requested End Port
Seattle, WA, USA None Seattle, WA, USA
Explanation/justification for requested
ports and dates of intermediate stops
or to list additional port stops
On collaborative/ancillary basis, other U.S. west cost ports (pref. Washington/Oregon region) are acceptable for start, intermediate, or end points as best suited to the needs of a joint cruise effort.

 Important Info on Working in Foreign Ports

 
Science Party
Chief Scientist: Robert W. Embley, PMEL
# in Science Party 6 # of different science teams 2 # Marine Technicians to be
provided by ship operator:
(include in science party total)
1
Explanation of Science Party Requirements and Technician Requirements One to three science teams may be involved.
Instrumentation Requirements That Impact Scheduling Decisions
Selected Dynamic PositioningUnselected ADCPSelected MultibeamUnselected Seismic
Unselected Dredging/Coring/Large Dia. Trawl WireUnselected Stern A-frameUnselected Fiber Optic (.681)Unselected 0.680 Coax Wire
Unselected SCUBA DivingUnselected Radioisotope use - briefly describeUnselected NO Radioisotope use/Natural level workUnselected Other Operator Provided Inst. - Describe
0 PI-Provided Vans - briefly describe Unselected MOCNESS  
Explain Instrumentation or Capability
requirements that could affect choice
of ship in scheduling.

Prefer vessel scheduled for other projects involving ROV and/or manned submersible in the Juan de Fuca Ridge region.

Major Ancillary Facilities (that require coordination of schedules with ship schedule)
Aircraft
Unselected Helicopter Ops (USCG)Unselected Twin OtterUnselected Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) 
Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV)
Unselected Other AUVUnselected Sentry  
Coring Facility
Unselected Jumbo Piston CoringUnselected Large Gravity Core Unselected MC800 multicorer w/ MISO camera/telemetryUnselected OSU Coring Facility (MARSSAM)
Unselected Other Large Coring FacilityUnselected WHOI Long Core  
Human Occupied Vehicle (HOV)
Unselected AlvinUnselected Clelia (HBOI)Unselected JSL I & II (HBOI)Unselected Other HOV
Other Facility
Unselected MISO Facility - deep-sea imagingUnselected Other FacilityUnselected Potential Fields Pool Equipment 
Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV)
Selected JasonSelected Other ROV  
Seismic Facility
Unselected Ocean Bottom Seismograph Instrument Center (OBSIC)Unselected Ocean Bottom Seismograph Instrument Pool (OBSIP)Unselected Ocean-Bottom Seismometer Program (UTIG)Unselected Other Seismic/OBS Facility
Unselected PASSCALUnselected Portable MCS groupUnselected Portable MCS/SCS groupUnselected U.S. Geological Survey Ocean Bottom Seismometer Facility (USGS at WHOI)
Towed Underwater Vehicle
Unselected ARGO IIUnselected Hawaii MR1 (HMRG)Unselected IMI12 (HMRG)Unselected IMI120 (HMRG - formerly DSL 120A)
Unselected IMI30 (HMRG)Unselected Other Towed Underwater VehicleUnselected Towfish 
UNOLS Van Pool
Unselected AUV Lab Van #1Unselected Clean Lab VanUnselected Cold Lab VanUnselected General Purpose Lab Van
Unselected Radioisotope Lab VanUnselected Wet Lab Van  
UNOLS Winch Pool
Unselected Mooring SpoolerUnselected Portable WinchUnselected Turn Table 
Explain Major Ancillary Facilities
Requirements and list description
and provider for "other" systems.

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