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Abstract:
The Nansen Legacy JC3 cruise (19.02.-11.03.2022) aimed to fill gaps after the earlier NL cruises, in particular during the winter-to-spring transition and in the northern part of the NL transect to the Nansen Basin. Joint physical, chemical, and biological sampling and experiments for new technology addressed aims of RF1, RF2, RF3 and RA-C.
Sampling started in the Atlantic domain with a process station at P1. Afterwards, the cruise focused on the northern Barents Sea around and north of Kvitøya covering process stations at P5, P7 and between Nord Austlandet and Kvitøya. They lasted from 29 to 68 hours to enable observation of at least one daily cycle in the under-ice water layer. Ice conditions varied but consisted mostly of extensive but thin first-year ice, often as small floes that were frozen together. In the northernmost region, the floes were larger, but the ice remained thin. Despite a fair amount of daylight available, the biological sampling seemed to indicate that the ecosystem was still in winter mode.
In addition to the process stations, the northern part of the NL transect was covered from the shelf north of Kvitøya into the deeper Nansen Basin. This included mainly hydrographic measurements and chemical sampling along the entire transect, biological sampling at P6, and benthic sampling at selected depths from shelf over slope to deep. In the entire region, warm Atlantic water was prominent and close to the surface, potentially explaining the lack of thick sea ice and late ice formation.
Before and after the main cruise program, several gliders were recovered. One mooring was pinged but could not be located.