RV Cefas Endeavour 20/14
Cruise summary report
| Cruise Info. | |
| Ship name (ship code) | RV Cefas Endeavour (74E9) |
| Cruise identifier | 20/14 |
| Cruise period | 2014-09-30 — 2014-10-19 |
| Status | Completed |
| Port of departure | Portland Harbour, United Kingdom |
| Port of return | Swansea, United Kingdom |
| Purpose | Research |
| Objectives | Aims
1. To carry out the third in a series of five annual multidisciplinary pelagic survey of the Western Channel and Celtic Sea waters to estimate the biomass of-, and gain insight into the population of the small pelagic fish community (sprat, sardine, mackerel, anchovy, horse mackerel, herring). 2. To collect plankton samples using 2 different mesh ringnets (80 μm, and 270 μm mesh) at fixed stations along the acoustic transects at night and at a subset of trawl stations during the day. Samples will be processed onboard. 3. Water column sampling. At fixed stations along the acoustic transect, a Rosette and ESM2 will be deployed to obtain a vertical profile of the water column. Water column profile and water samples will provide information on chlorophyll, oxygen, salinity temperature, nutrients and the relevant QAQC samples for calibration of the equipment. Water samples will be collected and fixed on board for analysis post-hoc. 4. Seabirds and Marine Mammals. Locations, species, numbers and activities observed will be recorded continuously during daylight hours by two Marinelife observers from bridge. 5. Ferrybox Continuous CTD/Thermo-salinigraph. Continuously collect oceanographic data on the sea surface during steaming. 6. To conduct a one day P&O training exercise of the use of the pelagic trawl at the start of the survey. 7. Continuous plankton sampler: to further test the ability of a new (continuous) passive zooplankton sampler to supplement ringnet plankton nets with high resolution data on the surface. Focus includes sardine spawning, and key zooplankton prey. 8. To map the acoustically derived zooplankton densities using the new 333 kHz frequency and compare it with data collected under 2 (and where possible 7) as part of a new Defra funded project HAZARD, supplemented by Seedcorn project DP366. 9. To collect water samples for nutrient and TA/DIC analysis at one station per day in support of a programme on ocean acidification (Naomi Greenwood) to continue autumn time-series in area. 10. To collect, where possible, and freeze 2 kg samples each of mackerel, herring, sardine, sprat, blue whiting and dogfish for dioxin analysis as part of MSFD, descriptor 9 "contaminants in seafood" 11. If possible to conduct an inter-vessel platform calibration exercise with the RV Celtic Explorer (Marine Institute, Ireland). Location and timing will be agreed between the SICs of the two surveys. 12. If possible, to collect a range of samples using vessel based equipment, west of the Isles of Scilly as part of a calibration exercise of the equipment mounted on multiple gliders which will be deployed as part of the MASSMO project. |
| Chief scientist | Jeroen Van der Kooij (Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science Lowestoft Laboratory) |
| Cruise programme |  (0.35 MB) |
| Cruise report | (2.13 MB) |
| Ocean/sea areas | |
| General | English Channel Celtic Sea |
| Specific | Western Channel and Celtic Sea (ICES areas VIIe, VIIf, VIIg) |
| Track charts | (0.33 MB) |
| Data held at BODC | |
| Discrete samples | |
| 18 Sample taken from ship's non-toxic supply | |
| 4 Water bottle hydrocast |
