Description: The first expedition planned for 1970 was conducted in the ocean area between the Iberian and West African coasts (north of 15 ° N and 30 ° W, see map). The first three sections of the expedition were devoted mainly to biological questions. The fourth and last cruise-section was concentrated on geological and geophysical problems relating to the exploration of the Iberian shelf and shelf margin. Since the activation of R.V. "Meteor" in 1964, biological work has predominantly centred round two questions: a) comparative studies on nutrient dynamics in poor and rich areas and b) communities in the open ocean and their diurnal periodic migrations. It was the purpose of the Canaries Basin expedition to supplement the data collected during previous research cruises, particularly the Atlantic Seamount cruises ("Meteor" cruise 8 and 9) in 1967 and the West African expedition ("Meteor" cruise 13) in 1968. Research work in the various disciplines of marine biology was carried out simultaneously with the collecting of chemical and physical data indispensable for the understanding of productivity, transport and decomposition of organic matter as well as affording an opportunity to observe biogenic sedimentation. In planning the cruise, special emphasis was laid on ensuring as close a coordination as possible between the individual working programmes; it was decided that of the vast number of problems presently confronting marine science, particularly in the biological field, only a few should be selected and these approached from diverse sides. Each cruise section was directed at one focal point, around which other investigations were grouped. Cruise section I. Nutrient dynamics in an upwelling water body off the West African coast. Cruise section II. Communities and environmental conditions in the region of the Great Meteor Seamount. Cruise section III. Metabolism and communities on the Iberian deep-sea bed. Cruise section IV. Testing of geophysical gear. Moreover, investigations on two important questions that for a considerable length of time have occupied the attention of planktologists and geologists at various German institutes covered several cruise sections: a) The structure of communities in the oceanic deep scattering layers and at the sea surface; an insight into the feeding migrations of these organisms is essential for an understanding of the vertical transport of organic matter in the open sea. b) The origin of sediments in the deep sea and on the Iberian shelf in relation to organic productivity and climatic and oceanographic fluctuations. The Canaries Basin expedition 1970 inaugurated the "Cooperative Investigations of the Northeastern Central Atlantic" (CINECA), a programme coordinated by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) on the recommendation of the FAO and IOC.

Description: The expedition "Auftrieb '72" was conducted in the NW African Upwelling Region off the Banc d' Arguin and included two geological profiles off Cap Blanc and off Villa Cisneros. R.V. "Meteor" and R.V. "Planet", the research plane "Canberra" and the tourist vessel M.S. "Regina Maris" participated in the expedition. Several components added up to a coordinated programme of different disciplines: Current meter moorings, large-scale oceanography and intensive studies of frontal zones were the task of R.V. "Planet". Medium-scale oceanography, chemistry and various disciplines of marine biology were performed with R.V. "Meteor", while the airplane and M.S. "Regina Maris" supplied background oceanographic information for the whole programme. The work done with R.V. "Meteor" is reported here. lt has been organised in three sections: Cruise section I. Nutrient dynamics in upwelling water bodies, in continuation of the work done during the "Roßbreiten-Expedition 1970". Cruise section II. Circulation in an upwelling system, including direct measurements of the vertical velocity; mixing processes in an upwelling system. Cruise section III. Sediment and benthos in areas of strong and weak upwelling. The approach to the study of these processes varied according to the problem. During cruise section I a number of drift experiments similar to the experiment conducted during the "Roßbreiten-Expedition 1970" was performed, consisting of a regular station programme at a freely drifting buoy which served for marking a patch of upwelling water. Cruise section II consisted of repeated sections in the vicinity of the vertical current meters and the current meter moorings. Cruise section III concentrated on two profiles perpendicular to the coast off Cap Blanc and Villa Cisneros.

Description: Aufgaben der Reise: Erprobung des pelagischen Trawls und div. Planktongeräte, Besuch der JOA in Edinburgh, Schottland, Beschaffung von Tieren für das Aquarium

Description: Im Frühjahr 1967 hielt ich meine Antrittsvorlesung über die marine Aquakultur - die Fischzucht am und im Meer. Ich wollte damit eine neue Arbeitsrichtung in Kiel einläuten. Sie wurde in den folgenden Jahrzehnten zu einem wichtigen Feld der Fischereibiologie in Kiel. Thassilo Jaegers Lachsforellen, am Kieler Kraftwerk in Holger Graves Drehnetzkäfigen aufgezogen, und die Steinbutt-Küken aus Bülk sind Folgen dieseranschließend von Nellen und Rosenthal fortgeführten Arbeitsrichtung. (...)