Five campaigns have been conducted in the framework of Turbeams, all of them on board of the RV Belgica. The cruise reports of the respective campaigns can be consulted below, as well as some pictures to show life and work on board.
March 2022
First campaign of the Turbeams project, focusing on setting up all of the equipment and test the first hypotheses.
Scientific crew of the very first Turbeam campaign on board of the RV Belgica. Left to right: Benjamin Van Roozendael, Matthias Baeye, Michael Fettweis, Marc Roche, Nore Praet, Peter Urban, Thomas Vandorpe, Vera Van Lancker and Koen DegrendeleSurvey room of the RV Belgica where all acoustic equipment and data is monitored.CTD frame with acoustic and optical sensors is launched. They provide the needed in-situ data of the water properties within the project.
Second campaign of the Turbeams project, which to a large extent got cancelled due to bad weather. The Turbeams team was able to make the most of it and elaborately test the Video Plankton Recorder for further use within the project.
Preparation of the Video Plankton Recorder (VLIZ). This equipment takes high-resolution images of the water column, allowing to identify both plankton and other particles in the water column.Video Plankton Recorder on the back deck of the RV Belgica, ready for action.
Campaign in the framework of sand monitoring. The Turbeams team assisted FPS Economy in measuring the impact of dredging vessels on the seafloor and water column using the Video Plankton Recorder and analyzing in-situ water samples.
Video Plankton Recorder deployed during ideal conditions. Picture: Helga VandenreykenWater samples analyzed for the content of particles. Picture: Helga VandenreykenPeter and Marc discussing the results of the acoustic measurements. In the background, single beam and multibeam measurements can be seen on the screens. Picture: Helga Vandenreyken
April 2023
Third campaign of the Turbeams project, with all sensors and equipment performing brilliantly, allowing to get simultaneous data from all of them.
RV Belgica within a Belgian offshore wind mill farm.Turbeams team during the April 2023 campaign. From bottom to top: Peter Urban, Wim Versteeg, Thomas Vandorpe, Benjamin Van Roozendael, Jarren Goes and Nore Praet.Video Plankton Recorder measurements going very well. During a 12 hour transect, the device goes up and down all the time, taking images from the entire water column.
December 2023
Fourth campaign of the Turbeams project. During this campaign, all sensors and equipment worked simultaneously again, allowing to get data from winter conditions in the Belgian part of the North Sea. The collection of data during different seasons will allow a more thorough comparison of the data.
Turbeams team during the December 2023 campaign. Top: Wim Versteeg, Thomas Vandorpe, Peter Urban and Sabine Mawet. Bottom: Jarren Goes, Benjamin Van Roozendael, Nore Praet and Samira Lashkari.Multibeam water column data acquisition during the measurements. This image nicely illustrates how many auxiliary data are needed to obtain good multibeam data (right hand part of the image). Life on board: dinner. Jarren happily choosing what to eat after a long shift.
