SEAmester and Agulhas System Climate Array (ASCA) Scientific Cruise on the SA Agulhas II Voyage 052, June 2022

The SEAmester and Agulhas System Climate Array (ASCA) Scientific Cruise was conducted on the SA Agulhas II Voyage 052 from 27 June to 08 July 2022. The cruise operated from Cape Town to the ASCA transect (~ 34° S) off Hamburg in the Eastern Cape, South West Indian Ocean. The objective of the SEAmester cruise was to undertake the ASCA transect across the Agulhas Current and sample the 20 CTD stations done previously. In addition, SEAmester shallow (200 m) CTD training stations would take place each day at 10am and 4pm for the students. Due to the change of plans requested of the SEAmester team to undertake a medical evacuation at Marion Island, the science team opted to instead study a trapped lee-edge cyclonic eddy formed due to an early retroflection of the Agulhas Current. The timing of the cruise provided a unique opportunity to study a phenomena rarely occurring, and the placement allowed the vessel to be positioned closer to Marion Island when weather allowed for the medical evacuation from Marion Island.