TITLE:   Palmer LTER: Annual January Cruise for 1996 (PD96-1)
AUTHORS: Maria Vernet and Karen S. Baker
DATE: 1996
Palmer LTER Contribution No. 106
Antarctic Journal  of the United States, (accepted)

Abstract - 
The Palmer LTER (PAL) annual cruises provide physical and biological data 
on a regional basis, covering the area west of the Antarctic Peninsula. 
PD96-1 was from 08 January to 10 February 1996 aboard the R/V Polar Duke 
and follows similar cruises in January 1993 (Quetin et al., 1993),
January 1994 (Ross et al., 1995) and January 1995 (Smith, 1995).
Sampling is based on a regional grid (Fig. 1) following the same patterns 
as on previous cruises with cardinal transect lines, inshore stations,
and periodic visits to the nearshore Palmer grid to provide temporal 
continuity to the Palmer station season sampling effort.
As on previous cruises, cardinal stations separated by 20 km were
sampled along transect lines 600, 500, 400, 300 and 200. 
During PD96-1 an average of 4 stations per day were completed where 
standard measurements at each station included optics, hydrography, 
microbial parameters, plant pigments, primary production, plant physiology, 
acoustic surveys, net tows for zooplankton, krill and fish, and
krill physiological condition.