New Zealand research voyages to the Ross Sea region in 2018 and 2019

This paper provides a summary of research carried out during New Zealand’s 2018 voyage to the Ross Sea region, and gives notice of a New Zealand 2019 research voyage to the Ross Sea region. The Ross Sea Environment and Ecosystem Voyage 2018 (TAN1802), took place from 9 February to 21 March 2018, departing from and returning to Wellington, New Zealand. Science objectives for the voyage were aligned with the Ross Sea region Marine Protected Area Research and Monitoring Plan, under New Zealand’s Antarctic and Southern Ocean science directions and priorities 2010-2020. The voyage was successful, achieving all objectives in part and most in full, including: (1) establishing a long-term experiment to monitor outflow of Antarctic Bottom Water at the continental shelf-break in the Cape Adare region; (2) surveys of seabed habitats and fauna at previously un-surveyed sites on Iselin Bank, Scott C seamount, and locations on the Pacific-Antarctic ridge; (3) characterisation of marine microbial community structure and function across the region; (4) characterisation of zooplankton community structure; (5) surveys of mesopelagic fish and krill distributions; (6) research into interactions between marine aerosols and cloud formation, and (7) documenting marine mammal distributions, including biopsy sampling of humpback whales. Preliminary research goals and study areas for the 2019 voyage are described and align with the Ross Sea region Marine Protected Area Research and Monitoring Plan. Results from the analyses of the data from the survey will be presented to CCAMLR and published in the peer reviewed literature, as appropriate, once completed.