Processed CTD continuous observations from the West Coast Hake Biomass Survey on the Africana Voyage 059, February 1988

Here we present processed downcast Conductivity-Temperature-Depth (CTD) continuous data collected between 02 February and 25 February 1988, during the West Coast Hake Biomass Cruise on the Africana Voyage 059, in the southern part of the Benguela Current Large Marine Ecosystem (BCLME) region on the west coast of South Africa. Neil Brown MK3 and MK4 CTD instruments were used to measure pressure, temperature and conductivity through the water column during research and monitoring cruises between 1983 and 2000. The main objective of the cruise was to survey by means of trawling the abundance of adult and recruiting hake in South African waters; to investigate the diurnal cycle of hake and other demersal species; to make some experimental trawls in deep water to collect deep-water specimens of fish and squid; to collect routine biological material on demersal species from South West African waters; to investigate the occurence, distribution and abundance of squid and squid larvae; to study demersal community interrelationships and to study the biology of sharks and skates. Oceanographic research assistants were also trained.