This dataset contains bathymetry (water depth), ship's heading, ship's speed and position data collected during the Nella Dan Voyage 1 1985-86. This was a marine science voyage departing Hobart, visiting Heard Island, beset at Amundsen Bay and returning to Hobart. Data are available online via the Australian Antarctic Division Data Centre web page (or via the Related URL given below). For further information, see the Marine Science Support Voyage Report at the Related URL below.

These data are linked to what appears to be an unfinished report/paper by Pat Quilty. An extract of the unfinished report is available below, and the full document is included in the data download. These data are also linked to a collection in the biodiversity database, and are also related to another record (both listed at the provided URLs). Foraminiferids are recorded from samples collected on Mac. Robertson Shelf and Prydz Bay, East Antarctica in 1982, 1995 and 1997. Most are identifiable from previous literature but a new enrolled biserial agglutinated genus is noted but not defined. Distribution is related to oceanographic factors. The Mac. Robertson Shelf-Prydz Bay region off the East Antarctic coast is that segment of the southern Indian Ocean between latitudes 66 degrees and almost 70 degrees S, and longitudes 60 degrees and 80 degrees E. It includes Mac. Robertson Shelf, the continental shelf, bounded seaward by the 500 m isobath, and Prydz Bay, the deepest re-entrant into the east Antarctic shield and the outlet for the Lambert Glacier at its southern end. The Lambert Glacier is the world’s largest glacier and drains some 1 000 000 km2 of East Antarctica. The marine region studied here covers some 140 000 km2. Several research cruises to the region have collected sediment samples that yielded modern and recycled foraminiferid faunas. The modern component of the faunas has not been recorded in detail previously. This paper records the details of the taxonomy and distribution of species collected during marine geology/geophysics cruises that provided the foraminiferids discussed in Quilty (1985, 2001), O’Brien (1992), O’Brien et al. (1993, 1995) and Harris et al. (1997). The geophysical results and interpretations of the 1982 voyage of MV Nella Dan are described by Stagg (1985) and this provides also the general setting and nomenclature of Prydz Bay. Two cruises (1995 and 1997) of RSV Aurora Australis collected samples and these provided the basis for Quilty’s records of foraminiferids and other components on a sample-by-sample basis in O’Brien et al. (1995) from 51 samples, and from a further 27 samples reported in Harris et al. (1997). The 1995 cruise also yielded the recycled foraminifera recorded by Quilty (2001) and the Mesozoic material documented by Truswell et al. (1999). Neither of these cruise records provided details of the faunas to the level covered here. Further studies for the region are given in the results of ODP Legs 119 and 188. The impetus for conducting this review comes from two sources. Firstly, few foraminiferids have been documented from this region, and even fewer have been figured. Secondly, 2007-2008 was designated the [fourth] International Polar Year (IPY) and one of the major programs is the Census of Antarctic Marine Life (CAML), a component of the global Census of Marine Life (CML). This paper is a contribution to that project. Included in the review are faunas from the modern environment and some which may be ‘Late Cenozoic’ in which the faunas are of the same species as the modern and in which data from the modern can be, and have been, used to infer past environments (Fillon 1974, Kellogg et al. 1979, Ward and Webb 1986). The aims of this paper are: - to document the species of foraminifera recovered from geology/geophysics cruises to the Mac. Robertson Shelf and Prydz Bay region, offshore East Antarctica (Fig. 1); - to make the nomenclature of species recorded consistent with latest taxonomic practice; - to characterise the faunas by diversity and dominance factors; and - to discuss the controls on the distribution of faunas recorded.

These data were collected on the sixth Nella Dan voyage of a long term field survey project being conducted by the Australian Antarctic Division, to collect distribution, abundance and population structure data for the krill Euphausia superba in the Prydz Bay region, Antarctica. This voyage, the Australian Antarctic Marine Biological Ecosystem Research 1986/1987 (AAMBER 86/87) cruise, operated between February and April 1987. The dataset includes two scanned copies of the Hyrdoacoustic logs of the voyage.

The dataset download contains scanned copies of the acoustics log and the voyage report from voyage 7 of the Nella Dan in the 1984-1985 season. The voyage departed Hobart on the 9th of February, 1985, and conducted marine science, as well as stopping at Davis, Mawson, Edgeworth David and the Shackleton Ice Shelf before returning to Hobart on the 17th of March, 1985. See the download file for full details, but some extracts from the voyage report are copied below. Report on Voyage 7 - Marine Science on Nella Dan, Malcolm Robb Due to the cancellation of the fishing and current meter components, the marine science program was redefined as a study of bird distribution and feeding habits as related to oceanographic phenomena. This program would utilise a towed body containing CTD instrumentation in conjunction with the hydroacoustic measurement of "food". In addition a second CTD could be used from the stern using one of the partly operating trawl winches. The study design A cruise plan was designed in which the collection of bird distribution data was given priority; hydroacoustic and oceanographic data were collected to complement the bird observations. Tide Gauges Two Annderra type tide gauges were to be deployed on behalf of the Victorian Institute of Marine Science (VIMS); one at Mawson and one at Davis. Observations of seabirds and marine mammals during voyage 7 - Jennifer A Bassett Seabird observations Systematic seabird observations were conducted from the MV Nella Dan during voyage 7. This was the third voyage during the 1984/85 austral summer when seabird observations were conducted by the same observer. To record distribution and abundance of seabirds during all voyages standard ten minute counts were used following the method outlined in the Revised Edition (February 1984) of BIOMASS handbook #18 (1982). On voyage 7, as in the previous voyages, observations were made where possible during all hours of daylight. A minimum of one count per hour was made. Within the Australian BIOMASS Study Area (defined as the region 58-90 degrees East, and South of 59 degrees) standard counts were usually made twice hourly with a more or less continuous record being kept to record the occurrence of less common species, large flocks and feeding behaviour. The distribution and abundance of seals and cetacea were also recorded. A total of 380 10 minute counts were made during the voyage, 205 of these within the Australian BIOMASS Area. Hydroacoustic program report for voyages 5 and 7, 1984/85 - Ian Higginbottom During voyage 7, the new EK-400 echosounder and QD were used in conjunction with the so called 'spare' 120 kHz hull mounted transducer. The echosounder was run along 4022 miles of cruise track between 17 Feb - 11 Mar 1985. Data were recorded on punch tape for only 1248 miles of cruise track in the Prydz Bay Scullin-Monolith region.