FRV Clupea 1007C
Cruise summary report
| Cruise Info. | |
| Ship name (ship code) | FRV Clupea (74CU) |
| Cruise identifier | 1007C |
| Cruise period | 2007-07-11 — 2007-07-25 |
| Status | Completed |
| Port of departure | Fraserburgh, United Kingdom |
| Port of return | Fraserburgh, United Kingdom |
| Purpose | Fisheries |
| Objectives | Objectives
1. To obtain estimates of the distribution and abundance of Nephrops in the Firth of Forth and Moray Firth using underwater cameras. 2. To collect sediment samples at each station. 3. To use trawl caught samples of Nephrops to examine biological features at different sites throughout the survey areas. 4. To record benthic fauna interactions with a creel whilst in-situ. 5. The TV survey will also be used to collect data on other benthic fauna. Narrative The scientific complement joined RV Clupea at 1000 on Wednesday 11 July at Fraserburgh. However, due to a mechanical problem with the anchor's operating system, sailing was delayed until 2015, and by 2330 an anchorage was reached off Aberdeen. Following a night in Aberdeen Bay, the vessel arrived at the first station off Fife Ness on the morning of the 12 July, and completed eight TV stations for the day, before anchoring in Pease Bay. The sea remained calm throughout the 13 July allowing the twelve more exposed stations off St Abb's Head to be successfully surveyed, before heading to St Andrews Bay to shelter from predicted bad weather. The weather did not effect TV operations until 1400 on the 14 July, by which time seven stations had been surveyed in the far east of the Firth. With the weather not improving, the trawl was deployed for a 1.25 hour tow, before Clupea headed for the anchorage at Scougall Road off Dunbar. Conditions were favourable on 15 July, permitting fourteen stations to be completed. These stations were mainly located along the south side of the firth and Clupea subsequently anchored at Largo for the night. With a strong easterly gale on 16 July, sailing was delayed until 1045 by which time conditions had improved slightly. One site was surveyed before Clupea made a lengthy steam to the most westerly station. |
| Chief scientist | Adrian Weetman (Fisheries Research Services Aberdeen Marine Laboratory) |
| Project | RV0710 |
| Coordinating body | FRS |
| Cruise programme |  (0.03 MB) |
| Cruise report | (0.05 MB) |
| Ocean/sea areas | |
| General | North Sea |
| Specific | Moray Firth, Firth of Forth |
| Measurements | |
| Biology and fisheries | |
| Zoobenthos | Quantity: number of stations = 93 Description: TV, abundance of fauna recorded |
| Crustaceans | Quantity: number of hauls = 4 Description: nephrops |
| Other biological/fisheries measurement | Description: nephrops: sex, carapace length, tail width and total and tail weight, female ovaries staged and males' appendix masculina measured |
| Geology and geophysics | |
| Grab | Quantity: number of samples = 91 Description: sediment samples |
| Bottom photography | Quantity: number of stations = 93 Description: TV stations + several deployments of the TV sledge, abundance of anthropogenic activity recorded |
| Bottom photography | Quantity: number of deployments = 1 Description: creel cam |
