INTRODUCTION (E, Mittelstaedt)

The present volume contains hydrographic and marinechemical
 data collected during Leg I of METEOR cruise
No, 30 (23 Jan. to 2 March 1973). With this cruise
METEOR participated in an international four-ship
programme within the framework of CINECA (Cooperative
Investigations of the North-East Central Atlantic),
a scientific programme that is coordinated by IOC and
ICES, It was the objective of this four-ship programme
to undertake quasi-synoptic physical, chemical and biological
 investigations along selected sections of 100
to 300 miles' length, normal to the Northwest African
coast, between Gibraltar (36°N) and 10°N, It was METEOR's
task to study the hydrographic conditions on eight sections
 along the coast of Marocco, Simultaneously, three
other research vessels undertook the same measurements
farther south within selected sectors,

The following research vessels were involved:

"CORNIDE DE SAAVEDRA"
"BAKHCHISARAY"
PCAPRICORNE"

1000 t,
3382 t,
476

Spain
USSR

France

Inter alia, it was the purpose of this project to study
the large-scale interactions between nearshore upwelling
phenomena and the Canaries current,

As the investigation of nearshore upwelling has been one
focal point of an overall programme of marine research
in the Federal Republic of Germany since about 1970,
there was a great interest in the planning and implementation
 of this project on the German side, Therefore,
METEOR's participation was closely related to both previous
 and projected German research activities in the
upwelling area off Northwest Africa,