FRV Alba Na Mara 1814A
Cruise plan
| Cruise Info. | |
| Ship name (ship code) | FRV Alba Na Mara (74NM) |
| Cruise identifier | 1814A |
| Cruise period | 2014-10-16 — 2014-10-24 |
| Status | Completed |
| Port of departure | Greenock, United Kingdom |
| Port of return | Greenock, United Kingdom |
| Purpose | Research |
| Objectives | Objectives
1. Collect time series data on scallop abundance in the Lamlash Bay area. In September 2008 part of Lamlash Bay, Arran, became a community marine reserve and is now a No Take Zone (NTZ), the purpose of which is to help protect and enhance biodiversity. In addition to the enhanced biodiversity there is also an expectation that the No Take Zone will result in the scallop stocks being enhanced. Two baseline surveys, conducted by Marine Scotland Science in June 2009 and November 2010, collected data on scallop abundance in and around the waters of the NTZ. This survey will repeat the survey of the NTZ and two control areas in order to assess whether changes have taken place in the structure of the benthic community in the intervening four years. 2. Conduct a bathymetric study of the area to the south of Arran MPA. The area to the south of Arran will be surveyed using multi-beam, bathymetric techniques. Data from this survey will be processed at a later date and will be used to derive sediment maps. General Weather permitting; Alba na Mara will make passage from Greenock to Lamlash Bay on the afternoon of 16 October. The camera drop frame, TV winch cables and video equipment will have been loaded on from the previous survey, 1714A. In total, 300 stations are to be surveyed using the drop-camera frame, with four quadrat images taken at each station. Once the TV survey of the NTZ and the two control areas has been completed, the remainder of the survey time will be spent conducting a bathymetric survey to the south of Arran. The vessel will dock in Greenock at the end of the survey for unloading on 24 October. |
| Chief scientist | Philip Boulcott (Marine Scotland Aberdeen Marine Laboratory) |
| Cruise programme |  (0.22 MB) |
| Ocean/sea areas | |
| General | Inner Seas off the West Coast of Scotland |
| Specific | Lamlash Bay, Arran |
