The Plymouth estuary formed from 3 different conjoining rivers, from the River Tamar, Lynher as well as the Tavy. It is a special area of conservation from the diversity and the abundance of life which lives along the river and estuary. As this river has a partially stratified mixing there would be a distinct halocline between the surface which would have a warmer less dense water and a colder denser water, generally creating a salinity range from 15-34 psu. Learn more

 

A geological survey was conducted at Renney Point at Heybrook Bay, to study a rocky outcrop. One particular anti-form fold was studied, with the dip and strike orientation of bedding planes measured, along with the plunge of the fold and a fracture. Learn more

 

A long, single sidescan transect of the Tamar estuary was carried out the 9th of July, from the mouth of the estuary to Saltash. We left the Sutton Harbour Marina on the Explorer around 12:45. The boat then took us to the mouth of the estuary where the survey would begin. Learn more

 

On July 7th, Callista took us offshore to Station 28, located in deep water off the coast of Plymouth. We stayed there most of the day, carrying out measurements every hour to conduct a time series of the various parameters of the water column such as temperature, salinity, density, and chlorophyll and oxygen levels. The conditions were optimal, with a particularly calm sea, barely any wind and not a cloud in the sky. Read more

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Welcome to Group 8’s web page for the University of Southampton’s Plymouth Field course. As a group of nine, second-year Marine Biology and Oceanography students, we have spent ten days exploring the marine environments around the city of Plymouth from the 3rd – 13th July 2018. Through surveying the coastline, offshore and within the Tamar estuary, on board RV Falcon Spirit, RV Callista, Xplorer and Winnie the Pooh we have been able to form a collection of initial findings on the biological, chemical, physical and geological characteristics of the area which are presented on this web page.

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The views and opinions expressed are not those of the University of Southampton or the National Oceanography centre, but are those of the students in this group.

PLYMOUTH FIELD COURSE: THE INITIAL FINDINGS OF GROUP 8