Sampling program 



A chemical analysis committee, established at the Woods Hole meeting, 

 continues to maintain control over the selection of samples to be subjected 

 to further analysis. This committee consists of the following: James S. 

 Mattson, NOAA (Chairman); Richard Jadamec, USCG R&D Center; William MacLeod, 

 NOAA National Analytical Facility; John Farrington, Woods Hole Oceanographic 

 Institution; James Quinn and Chris Brown, University of Rhode Island; Richard 

 Feely, NOAA; Ed Myers, NOAA. All the samples that were in storage as of 

 January 3, 1977, have subsequently been handled, as have all samples taken on 

 Endeavor cruises 003, 004, and 005, according to the "chain of custody" 

 guidelines issued by EPA Region I (directive signed by John McGlenon, July 5, 

 1973). G. Heimerdinger of NOAA met the Endeavor on each return to assume 

 custody of the samples, and they have since been documented in accordance 

 with EPA guidelines. 



At the Woods Hole meeting in January, the subject of the immediate im- 

 pact of the Argo Meralaant oil spill was specifically addressed. This meeting 

 chaired by R. Kolpack, University of Southern California, and Don Swift, 

 Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratories, NOAA, resulted in the 

 suggestions that investigators concentrate on benthic processes to determine 

 the area where oil might be deposited in the bottom sediments. Endeavor 

 cruise EN-003, with Eva Hoffman as chief scientist, was planned to carry out 

 this objective (Appendix V). The cruise started on January 26, 1977, and was 

 terminated by bad weather on January 29. A second cruise, EN-004, was con- 

 ducted from February 9 to 12, 1977, to complete the initial survey. A third 

 cruise was planned for February 21, 1977, to follow up on the findings of the 

 second cruise. 



The sampling program included the area thought to be affected beneath 

 the surface slick, as well as marginal areas sufficiently beyond surface 

 slick extensions to serve as partial controls. Also included were areas in 

 the path of potential bottom sediment movement. In addition, the plan pro- 

 vided information about the bottom sediments and the near-bottom hydraulic 

 regime (about 100 centimeters above the sea floor) in order to assess bottom 

 transport processes. 



The 27 sediment samples from Oaeanus cruises 19 and 20 (Appendix V) 26 

 samples from Delaware II cruises 76-13 and 77-01 (Appendix V), 7 samples from 

 Endeavor cruise EN-002, and 16 samples from the USCGC Evergreen (a total of 

 76 samples, representing 42 stations) were taken between December 20 and 

 January 10. All these samples have been extracted and prescreened by R. 

 Jadamec of the USCG Research and Development Center, and the results of these 

 analyses are described later in this section. 



The benthic survey cruises undertaken by URI on Endeavor cruises EN-003, 

 004, and EN-005 produced another suite of water column and bottom samples, 

 which were taken under the guidelines developed at the Woods Hole meeting on 

 January 3-4. Appendix V contains the cruise report for EN-003, during which 

 Endeavor was able to occupy only five stations because of bad weather, and a 

 cruise "report" for EN-004, when the URI vessel was able to largely complete 



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