Title:
Supervision of offshore sampling associated with post exploratory offshore drilling operations in Block 6 – Calypso 1 area, EEZ Cyprus. Identification and enumeration of phytoplankton, zooplankton and macrofauna
Duration:
ca 4 months (March 2019 – June 2019)
Funded by:
ENI Cyprus Ltd.
Subcontracted by the joint venture:
HPC AG
Nicolaides & Associates Ltd
Pro Iter Ambiente S.r.l.
TEA Sistemi S.p.A.
Project Description:
In March 2019, five zooplankton samples were collected with vertical tows of a plankton net (diameter: 50 cm, porosity: 200 μm), from 250 m to the surface in five pre-determined locations. Zooplankton identification and enumeration of samples collected was completed in June 2019 and the data processing revealed a total number of 57 taxa. At the same time, five phytoplankton samples were collected at a sampling depth of 1 m from the surface in five locations situated in the Calypso 1 area. The samples were preserved with Lugol iodine and stored in black polyethylene bottles at room temperature until the analysis. Overall, 53 taxa were identified employing the Utermohl method. In order to investigate the benthic community structure of Calypso 1 area and the differences between prior and post exploration drilling, 26 samples were collected from all stations, consisting of 2 replicates each, collected via a 50 cm x 50 cm box corer of 82 L in volume at depths between 1951 and 2455 m. The examined samples yielded a total of 1661 individuals, belonging to 34 taxa.
