Raw underway Thermosalinograph (TSG) observations from the Transkei Shelf Oceanography Cruise on the Algoa Voyage 241, July 2017

Here we present the 6-second resolution raw Thermosalinograph (TSG) data collected between 12 July 2017 and 14 August 2017 during the Transkei Shelf Oceanography on the RS Algoa Voyage 241. A SeaBird SBE45 TSG is used to opportunistically collect underway near-surface temperature and conductivity measurements during research and monitoring cruises. Water is continuously pumped to the TSG from an intake located in the hull of the vessel, and the observations are continuously interfaced with navigational information. A temperature sensor close to the intake provides temperature measurements of the incoming water (T1). The temperature of the water inside the conductivity cell (T2) is used to accurately compute salinity (S) from the conductivity measurements (C). The area covered by the Transkei Shelf Oceanography Cruise includes the Transkei shelf and continental slope (20m to 1000m), of the Eastern Cape, between Cape St Francis and Port Shepstone in the South-West Indian Ocean. Our knowledge of the distribution of offshore benthic biodiversity on the Transkei shelf is very limited. The region between Algoa Bay and Port Edward is not only important for understanding the functioning of existing Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) such as Pondoland, Dwesa-Cwebe, and the Amathole, but is of particular relevance to the new Operation Phakisa proposed MPA network that will potentially include additional MPAs such as the Protea Banks, Amathole Expansion, and the proposed Addo MPA.