Aurora Australis Marine Science Cruise AU1602, Dalton, Mertz and Ninnis CTDs - Oceanographic Field Measurements and Analysis

The cruise commenced with a Casey resupply, followed by work around the Dalton Polynya/Moscow University Iceshelf, then the Mertz Glacier region, and then around the Ninnis Polynya. 14 stations at the southern end of the SR3 transect were also completed. Ice conditions prevented access to the front of the Totten Glacier.

A total of 73 CTD vertical profile stations were taken on the cruise, most to within 12 metres of the bottom (Table 1). Over 800 Niskin bottle water samples were collected for the measurement of salinity, dissolved oxygen, nutrients (phosphate, nitrate+nitrite, silicate, ammonia and nitrite), dissolved inorganic carbon (i.e. TCO2), alkalinity, Th-234, POC, Chla, PAM, HPLC, Nd, Po-210/Pb-210, bacteria, O-18, caesium, and Teflon pollutants, using a 24 bottle rosette sampler.