Our main goal on day 3 (22.10.2024) was to set up the 12 plots on which the study will be conducted. This work mainly consisted of measuring individual plots underwater, each 1.2 x 1.2 m in dimension, and mark them with poles on each corner.

We also deployed our underwater EXO sonde for the first time in the field. The sonde is equipped with 5 different sensors, including depth, temperature, conductivity/salinity, pH and oxygen, and will provide important background data near the sediment-water interface over the next 2 weeks.

The weather was nice during the morning, but it got increasingly choppy during the afternoon as the wind turn from north to south. This made the last dive of the day and anchoring the sonde on the sediment quite strenuous and time consuming. Yet, we managed to mark 8 out of 12 plots and successfully deployed the sonde. Now we wait for the first continuous water column data to come in.

Nadine.L