Transit voyage: Cairns to Darwin

Voyage Number

IN2022_T01

Voyage Dates

11 Sep, 2022 to 18 Sep, 2022

Voyage Location

Cairns to Darwin

Chief Scientist

N/A

Institution

CSIRO

View the full voyage

Voyage summary

Transit voyage from Cairns to Darwin to relocate RV Investigator in preparation for its next research voyage IN2022_V08. During the transit, various vessel maintenance, research and training projects will be undertaken.

The MNF seeks to maximise the benefit and use of sea time whenever the vessel is at sea. Transit voyages are commonly used for vessel maintenance activities, education and outreach activities, and staff familiarisation and training. They may also include science projects compatible with the voyage duration and track, noting that limited time is generally available during a transit for projects that require time on station.

During every voyage, underway data is collected continuously by RV Investigator from an array of distributed sensors on board.

There are 3 projects on this voyage:

• Project 3D-GBR seafloor mapping (Dr Robin Beaman, James Cook University): Collection of bathymetry (seafloor mapping) data to contribute to Project 3D-GBR, a project to build a comprehensive 3D depth model for the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea.
• Sea Surface Temperature Radiometer Comparisons/Calibrations (Nicole Morgan, CSIRO): A second sea surface temperature radiometer will be used to provide comparison/calibration with the existing radiometer on vessel.
• Deploy of BGC Argo Float (Prof Pete Strutton, UTAS – on shore): Deployment of one biogeochemical Argo float as part of the international ARGO program.

The science team on this voyage includes 12 participants from 2 institutions (plus 20 crew and a reef pilot).

COVID-19 Protocols

To safeguard the health and well-being of participants, strict COVID-19 protocols apply to all activities on this voyage. This includes a 7-day quarantine on shore and 3-phase PCR testing of all participants for COVID-19 prior to boarding the vessel.

Voyage outcomes

A summary of voyage outcomes will be published approximately 3-6 months after the completion of the voyage.