P15S: Lautoka to Hobart

Overview

GO-SHIP P15S runs along 170°W in the western Pacific aboard the RV Investigator, operated by the CSIRO Marine National Facility (Australia), as part of the 2023–2030 decadal survey. The cruise sails in two legs:

• Leg 1: Lautoka, Fiji, to Auckland, New Zealand (September 29 – November 9, 2026)
• Leg 2: Auckland, New Zealand, to Hobart, Tasmania (November 14 – December 19, 2026)

The cruise also hosts the NF-POGO-SPC-CSIRO Shipboard Training program, and the section is a major contribution to the World Climate Research Programme’s CLIVAR project and the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS).

Operations

Standard repeat hydrography along the 170°W meridian, spanning the Ross Sea, the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), and the South Pacific gyre, with 24-hour shifts of CTD/rosette sampling and underway measurements.

Operations include full-depth CTD/rosette casts, physical oceanography, carbon cycle parameters, and collaborative U.S. Bio-GO-SHIP sampling (including eDNA and biogeochemical measurements).

The map shows the track of the previous occupation of P15S in 2016, also aboard the RV Investigator (expocode 096U20160426), which ran from 66.3°S to the equator.

Planning information

Data management and archival. All core hydrographic data are processed and submitted to the CCHDO (CLIVAR and Carbon Hydrographic Data Office) following standard GO-SHIP guidelines.

Logistics and compliance.

• Strict biosecurity regulations apply (e.g., New Zealand biosecurity clearance, ISPM-15 compliant treated wood standards for shipping containers).
• All participating personnel must complete required onboarding profiles (such as UNOLS Marine Facilities Planning) and review the US GO-SHIP Code of Conduct.
• Mandatory pre-cruise training (such as joint Bystander Intervention Training) is coordinated ahead of field operations.