Prowess 1407H
Cruise summary report
| Cruise Info. | |
| Ship name (ship code) | Prowess (74P3) |
| Cruise identifier | 1407H |
| Cruise period | 2007-04-23 — 2007-04-30 |
| Status | Completed |
| Port of departure | Fraserburgh, United Kingdom |
| Port of return | Fraserburgh, United Kingdom |
| Objectives | Objectives
1. To undertake a baited camera survey at the Nexen operated Buzzard platform site and at a control site situated nearby. 2. To obtain current information at each deployment site. Narrative Staff and equipment were loaded at Fraserburgh on Monday the 23rd of April. Prowess departed the harbour at 1030 and proceeded to the Buzzard field (57 48' N, 0 58' W whilst the equipment was prepared. Arriving on site, the acoustic release system was tested before a shakedown deployment was carried out to familiarize the crew and Skipper with the procedure. Problems experienced during these trials in arming the acoustic releases and getting the digital camera system operating resulted in the first survey station being delayed until 1830. Deployments continued throughout the night and into the 24 April with intermittent camera faults. During the afternoon of the 25 after a 2h delay due to camera problems, the decision was taken to switch to using the SERPENT camera system. This newer camera proved more reliable and turnaround time was reduced to an average of just over 1h between deployments. A random survey design, stratification by distance from the platform was followed, although the direction of the tide and the position of other vessels in the development zone also dictated final locations. Deployment durations were approximately 4h, alternating between the platform perimeter and the control site. Good weather on the 26 and 27 April allowed deployment of Prowess' RIB to take photos and video footage of the baited camera operations. Work continued unhindered into the evening of the 29 April, when at midnight the last retrieval was completed and Prowess made for Fraserburgh, docking at 0830. |
| Chief scientist | Iain M Penny (Fisheries Research Services Aberdeen Marine Laboratory) |
| Coordinating body | FRS |
| Cruise report |  (0.02 MB) |
| Ocean/sea areas | |
| General | North Sea |
| Specific | North Sea Buzzard field area (57º 48' N, 0º 58' W) |
| Measurements | |
| Physical oceanography | |
| Current meters | Quantity: number of deployments = 26 Description: current meter attached to lander |
| Geology and geophysics | |
| Bottom photography | Quantity: number of stations = 27 Description: JULIET deployments achieved collecting over 7000 stills images. deployments of baited lander with camera |
