O 
Objectives 
The main objective of GAUSS cruise no. 385 was an assessment of the large-scale 
oceanographic situation, including oxygen conditions, in the German Bight and North 
Sea. Additionally, nutrients, chlorophyll distribution, organic pollutant loads and 
oetroleum hydrocarbons were measured in large sea areas. 
Participants: 
Dr. Gerd Becker, chief scientist 
Petra Einfeldt 
Raimund Ludwig 
Andreas Pfeiffer 
Rüdiger Rasmus 
Manfred Schimansky 
Achim Schulz 
Elke Hammermeister 
Christel Möhlenkamp 
Ilse Büns (Hamburg University) 
Gitta Hemken (Hamburg University) 
Dr. Susanne Schermer (Hamburg University) 
Cruise narrative (Fig. 1, cruise track) 
The cruise started in Hamburg on 16 July 2002. The track led from the German Bight 
to the Strait of Dover, from where six parallel latitudinal transects were covered 
vetween England/Scotland and Denmark/Norway, up to the northern boundary of the 
North Sea at 60° North. During the whole cruise, a "DELPHIN" towfish measured the 
water temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen content, water turbidity, and chlorophyll 
soncentration between surface and seabed. Simultaneously, the same parameters 
(excl. oxygen) were measured near the surface (4 m depth) using a 
thermosalinograph. The vessel stopped at 54 stations to take water samples using 
special sampling equipment in order to determine dissolved nutrients, oxygen levels, 
arganic pollutants at some of the stations, and some other parameters. The 
investigations were interrupted for 12 hours to allow two technical staff members to 
disembark in Edinburgh. Besides BSH employees, also a working group from 
Hamburg University took part in the investigations. The chemical parameters were 
determined at the laboratories of the BSH and Hamburg University. A preliminary 
avaluation of the DELPHIN data was carried out on board.