FFS Walther Herwig III 371
Cruise summary report
| Cruise Info. | |
| Ship name (ship code) | FFS Walther Herwig III (06NI) |
| Cruise identifier | 371 |
| Cruise period | 2014-01-07 — 2014-01-13 |
| Status | Completed |
| Port of departure | Bremerhaven, Germany |
| Port of return | Bremerhaven, Germany |
| Purpose | Research |
| Objectives | The cruise had two main objectives. The first part was the German contribution to the international herring larvae surveys in the North Sea (IHLS). These surveys are conducted annually during the autumn and winter herring spawning activity and monitor the spatial distribution and abundance of herring larvae. The resulting survey index is used as an
important estimator of herring spawning stock biomass and provides valuable information for herring stock assessment and the fixation of fishing quotas. Large quantities of newly hatched larvae were found in the survey area in the English Channel. However, conclusions for North Sea herring stock spawning biomass can only be drawn when information of larvae abundance from all spawning areas become available prior to the herring assessment working group meeting in March 2014. With regards to time constrains, only one day was achievable for the work in Box A. None of the planned GOV hauls were conducted, but instead a complete set of 9 stations dedicated to benthos sampling could be done. The epifauna in Box A was dominated by high numbers of the goby Pomatoschistus minutus, the brittle star Ophiura ophiura and the shrimp Crangon allmanni. Compared to preceding years, high abundances of juvenile starfishes (Asterias rubens) and solenettes (Buglossidium luteum) disappeared. Additionally, the shrimp Crangon crangon was less abundant this year. |
| Chief scientist | Nobert Rohlf (Thünen Institute of Sea Fisheries, Hamburg) |
| Project | ICES International Herring Larvae Survey |
| Coordinating body | International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) |
| Cruise report |  (0.31 MB) |
| NPRC | (0.25 MB) |
| Ocean/sea areas | |
| General | English Channel North Sea |
| Specific | North Sea between 49°35’N and 53°00N and from 001°30’W to 004°30’E |
| Track charts | (0.14 MB) |
