Western Boundary Times Series cruise aboard the UNOLS R/V Endeavor

A CTD (conductivity-temperature-depth) instrument is lowered to gather vertical profiles of salinity, temperature, and oxygen

AOML physical oceanographers Molly Baringer, Ulises Rivero, Pedro Pena, Andrew Stefanick, Grant Rawson, Jay Hooper, and Francis Bringas left Puerto Rico on February 15th aboard the UNOLS R/V Endeavor for two weeks at sea in support of the Western Boundary Times Series Program. Molly Baringer, AOML's Deputy Director, served as chief scientist with additional support provided by staff from the University of Puerto Rico. Full water column profiles of salinity, temperature, and oxygen were obtained along 26°N and data telemetered from the Rapid/MOC/ MOCHA/WBTS moorings that monitor the meridional overturning circulation. A fall rate experiment was also conducted to assess biases in temperature profiles based on XBT (expendable bathythermographs) launch height.

A frame on deck of the R/V Endeavor. Image credit: NOAA Preparing the CTD rosette and niskin bottles for a cast. Image credit: NOAA Jay Hooper conducting an XBT fall rate test. Image credit: NOAA
The team reviewing the CTD data on R/V Endeavor. Image credit: NOAA Preparing a new ADCP for the CTD rosette. Image credit: NOAA Installing a new ADCP on the CTD rosette. Image credit: NOAA
A CTD rosette cast off of the stern of the R/V Endeavor. Image credit: NOAA Sampling from the nisken bottles. Image credit: NOAA Preparing an inverted echo sounder for deployment. Image credit: NOAA
Inverted echo sounder retrieved from the ocean floor. Image credit: NOAA CTD under sparkling clear blue water. Image credit: NOAA