Chartered R/V A.B. Petrov:

Summary of cruises undertaken during 2008-2009:

 The chartered research vessel A.B. Petrov was made available to NCAOR only in the month of September 2008, after completion of dry-docking of the vessel by the owners. From the month of on-hire i.e. September 2008 till the month of March – 2009, a total of five cruises were undertaken and completed by NCAOR under various projects of the ministry.  The first cruise completed during the months of September-October 2008 was undertaken for the bulk collection of polymetallic nodules. During this cruise, an additional responsibility of finding and recovering a lost PMEL mooring installed in the equatorial Indian Ocean was assigned to the sailing party. After successful detection and retrieval of PMEL mooring, a total of ten tons manganese nodules were collected in dredging operations from the PMN area of Central Indian Ocean. 

A.B. Petrov crew reached the PMEL mooring float in a small boat and secured it.

The vessel crew and NCAOR staff involved in the recovery of PMEL buoy.

The second 35 days cruise  onboard Petrov was completed by National Institute of Oceanography , Dona Paula, in the months of October - November- 2008 under the project exploration of cobalt rich crusts. The cruise was aimed at collection of multibeam bathymetric data of the Afanasey Nikitin seamount area in the equatorial Indian Ocean.

The third cruise was undertaken for the testing of onboard equipment and training of manpower to prepare the vessel for a multidisciplinary eighty day expedition to the Southern Ocean, expected to be launched from the port of Goa in the month of January 2009. However, due to additional time taken for the preparation, the expedition was later launched from Port Louis, Mauritius in the month of February. During the meantime, in the months of January -09 and February – 09, a Fourth 35 days cruise was conducted by NCAOR under the project PMN – bulk collection of polymetallic nodules. A total of 13 tons of polymetallic nodules were recovered from the PMN pioneer area of the Central Indian Ocean. The cruise was concluded at Port Luis, Mauritius to facilitate launching Southern Ocean Expedition.

Fifth Cruise - Southern Ocean Expedition – 2009:

The Southern Ocean [SO] expedition 2009 was commenced on 12^th February 2009 from Port Louis, Mauritius under the leadership of NCAOR. The expedition was planned to collect multidisciplinary data in the Indian sector of SO up to the shelf of Antarctic continent. A team of 24 scientists from various organizations viz. NCAOR, Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Centre for Marine Living Resources & Ecology (CMLRE), India Meteorological Department (IMD), KBanerjee Centre of Atmospheric & Ocean Studies (KBCAOS), Goa, Karnataka and Gujarat Universities had participated in the expedition.  In this cruise multidisciplinary observations were collected along two meridional sections [57°30’E and 48°E], and a zonal section [65°30’S] in the Indian sector of SO. After completion of these observations the vessel arrived at Port Louis on 26^th March 2009. Further vessel started from Port Louis on 29^th March 2009 and arrived at Goa Port on 14^th April 2009 and all multidisciplinary observations were carried out in this track also.  During this expedition astronomical visual moving objects in clear sky have been identified. It is expected that this multi-disciplinary oceanographic data collection will help to bring out more understanding regarding the unknown areas of the Indian sector of Southern Ocean. Expedition was successful and all its scheduled tasks were accomplished.

Pictures show the operation of Bongo net dragged with 2 knot ship speed in left panel and right panel shows CTD unit with rosette sampler.

         Picture shows the photographs of organism (Jelly fish) obtained using Bongo net.

Vessel was delivered on hire on 1.9.2008  at 1120 hrs.

(11/03/2010)

(24/10/2008)

(29/08/2008)

ORV Sagar Kanya

NCAOR-PRL joint cruise for studying Biogeochemistry and Hydrodynamics of Tropical Indian Ocean commenced from Chennai as scheduled on 15.7.2008. Seven NCAOR participants and three PRL participants are sailing onboard. Chief Scientist: Dr. N. Anilkumar (NCAOR). 

(18/07/2008)

ORV SAGAR KANYA SAILED FROM CHENNAI ON 21.6.2008 FOR MULTIBEAM SWATH BATHYMETRIC SURVEY IN BAY OF BENGAL WITH NCAOR / AMC PARTICIPANTS. THE VESSEL IS EXPECTED TO RETURN TO CHENNAI IN THE SECOND WEEK OF JULY, 2008 AFTER THE SURVEYS. SEDIMENT AND WATER SAMPLINGS WILL ALSO BE CARRIED OUT IN SURVEY AREA.

CHIEF SCIENTIST: DR RAVI MISHRA, NCAOR

(23/06/2008)

ORV Sagar Kanya

ORV Sagar Kanya underwent drydock & multibeam repairs at Colombo during the month of April/May -08.Sailed from Colombo on 7.5.2008 to Mormugao  -  cruise No. SK-245 (Multibeam trial cruise) Arrived mormugao on 12.5.2008 at 1200hrs.

Expected to sail for next cruise for NIO, Dona Paula, (Cruise No. SK-246) on 13.5.2008  

Objectives: Cruise Title for SK246: Servicing and maintenance of the three existing current meter moorings at 77E, 83E and 93E along the equator.

Aim: 1. Servicing (retrieval and redeployment) of three deep-sea current meter moorings along the equator.

        2. Deployment of 16 ARGO floats.

        3. If time permits Operation of 12 CTD stations (including 9 CTDS along 80.5E, from 2S to 2N).

        4. Collection of surface meteorological data along the track.

Loading of equipment is going on. We are making arrangement with the agent to board the vessel tomorrow morning.

(12/05/2008)

ORV Sagar Kanya

Cruise No: SK-244
Departure Goa: 27.1.2008
ETA Vizhingam (Trivandrum): 13.2.2008
Chief Scientist: Dr N Anilkumar (NCAOR)
Participatins Organisations : NCAOR, Goa and IIRS, Dehradun.
Objective: Collection of hydrographic data onboard Sagar Kanya in the tropical Indian Ocean during January-February 2008.

(28/01/2008)

(04/01/2007)

ORV Sagar Kanya Cruise SK-230.

ORV Sagar Kanya sailed from Chennai on 7.12.2006 early hours for establishing a new Tsunami Buoy and for replacing existing three Tsunami Buoys in Bay of Bengal. The task is being carried out by NIOT, Chennai.

(08/12/2006)

ORV SAGAR KANYA:

SK-229B – (19.10.06 to 15.11.06) Soil Tester cruise under PMN Deep Sea Mining Programme of NIOT.  The newly developed Soil-Tester was successfully tested in the Arabian Sea and the Central Indian Ocean Basin. 

SK-299C – (18.11.06 to 25.11.06) Testing of the Hydro-acoustic Navigation System (HANS) under ROSUB project was successfully undertaken by NIOT.

SK-229D – (26.11.06 to 29.11.06) Expected to sail on the 26.11.06 for the Sea trials, calibration and Sea acceptance test of the newly installed Multibeam Echosounder.

    R. V. BORIS PETROV:

(23.10.06 to 15.11.06)  Completed the EEZ sampling cruise with four NCAOR participants.

(17.11.06 onwards) Sailed on a 10-day joint Indo-Russian cruise for exploration of gas hydrates in the Arabian Sea.

(28/11/2006)

ORV SAGAR KANYA CRUISE SK-229B:- Sailed from New Mangalore Port on 19.10.2006 for trials of newly developed Soil Tester by NIOT, Chennai. The trials will be taken up in phases of varying depths and upto around 6000 m in Central Indian Ocen Basin (CIOB). The vessel is expected to return to New Mangalore on 10.11.2006. Chief Scientist: Dr. M.A. Atmanand, NIOT, Chennai

(23/10/2006)

ORV Sagar Kanya sailed from Tuticorin Port on 31.8.2006 early hours for a cruise to India Ocean for Servicing / Deployments of OOS moorings and PMEL/NOAA ATLAS moorings. The cruise is undertaken by NIO under the MOD (Ministry of Ocean Development) funded INDOMOD project entitled "Long term measurements of currents in the equatorial Indian Ocean"  Chief Scientist: Dr. VSN. Murty.

(06/09/2006)

ORV Sagar Kanya: 

§        SK 227:  1.8.2006 to 26.8.2006:  Multidisciplinary observations in Equatorial Indian Ocean as part of OOS Programme of MoES.  Six ARGO floats and Fourteen Drifter buoys were also deployed in Indian Ocean.  NIO, Goa and Andhra University have participated in the cruise. 

R. V. Boris Petrov: 

§        R/V Akademic Boris Petrov sailed out on 09.08.2006 from Chennai for sampling cruise in Bay of Bengal.  Multibeam surveys, Portable CTD operations, Sub-bottom profiling and sediment sampling are being carried out onboard at present.  Vessel is expected to return Chennai on 14.9.2006.