This 28 day cruise was planned to investigate the geophysical and biological interactions in benthic environments in the Gulf of Oman and north-western Arabian Sea. The main objectives of the cruise were to produce a map of the bathymetry of the area and to investigate the geological processes that are, and have in the recent past been, active and look at the influence of the benthic community and activity on sediment acoustic properties. In fact the topography of the study area was vastly different to that indicated on the GEBCO or gravity-derived bathymetry maps, which had indicated a generally smooth continental slope running parallel to the coast. The reality was that this part of the Oman margin is highly incised by numerous submarine canyon systems, some of which are 4km in width in mid-slope and hundreds of metres deep. Thus the cruise objectives were modified slightly to incorporate an investigation of the influence of the canyons on the fauna and the Oxygen Minimum Zone (OMZ). Following successful EM12 multibeam mapping and the production of both contours and acoustic backscatter maps, over 120 stations were occupied to help us characterise the interactions between the biota and sediments, station work included intensive sampling of one transect in the north of the area and a comprehensive southern sampling transect for comparative studies. High resolution geophysics and photographic stations were also undertaken. Virtually all of the interpretive work will be carried out post-cruise.

This 28 day cruise was planned to investigate the geophysical and biological interactions in benthic environments in the Gulf of Oman and north-western Arabian Sea. The main objectives of the cruise were to produce a map of the bathymetry of the area and to investigate the geological processes that ...