FRV Alba Na Mara 1415A
Cruise plan
| Cruise Info. | |
| Ship name (ship code) | FRV Alba Na Mara (74NM) |
| Cruise identifier | 1415A |
| Cruise period | 2015-09-14 — 2015-10-01 |
| Status | Completed |
| Port of departure | Fraserburgh, United Kingdom |
| Port of return | Oban, United Kingdom |
| Purpose | Research |
| Objectives | Objectives
1. To establish the status of benthic habitat protected features within targeted survey areas at each of the protected areas using quantitative drop-camera sampling methods. 2. To collect seabed samples using the day grab for sediment size classification and for infaunal analysis. Collected infaunal samples will be stored in 4% formalin. 3. Subject to weather conditions/time - to undertake comparable work within the Lochs Duich, Long and Alsh SAC/MPA. To ground-truth areas of likely Annex I reef habitat within Loch Alsh (guided by 2013 multibeam survey data). To better define areas of burrowed mud habitat of the overlapping MPA in this outer part of the site to improve existing feature distribution mapping. Stations for drop video sampling within the target monitoring boxes have not been plotted yet. Deployment lines will be agreed based on prevalent weather/tidal conditions at the start of each box, but tows of up to one hour are envisaged. Additional contingency sampling areas have been developed for the Sound of Barra and for Lochs Duich, Long and Alsh to allow for adverse weather conditions. Scientific equipment will be loaded onto Alba na Mara on Thursday 10 September 2015. Scientists will join the vessel in Fraserburgh on the morning of Monday 14 September, with the vessel proceeding to the first sample station at the earliest opportunity. Daily scientific sampling will occur between 0600 and 1800 hours (all times UTC). Sample stations and the operations to be used are indicated in Figures 2-5. A half landing will take place on 22 September at Campbelltown. Further opportunities for the vessel to top up on freshwater will be taken opportunistically, however, Alba na Mara may be required to dock overnight at a suitable locality for this purpose. Scientific operations will cease on the afternoon of 29 or on 30 September to allow sufficient time for the vessel to travel to Oban. Unloading will occur in Oban harbour on the morning of 1 October. |
| Chief scientist | Philip Boulcott (Marine Scotland Aberdeen Marine Laboratory) |
| Cruise programme |  (1.31 MB) |
| Ocean/sea areas | |
| General | Inner Seas off the West Coast of Scotland |
| Specific | South Arran, Sound of Barra, Loch Alsh. |
| Track charts | (0.66 MB) |
