FRV Scotia 1607S
Cruise summary report
| Cruise Info. | |
| Ship name (ship code) | FRV Scotia (748S) |
| Cruise identifier | 1607S |
| Cruise period | 2007-10-27 — 2007-11-08 |
| Status | Completed |
| Port of departure | Aberdeen, United Kingdom |
| Port of return | Aberdeen, United Kingdom |
| Purpose | Fisheries |
| Objectives | Objectives
1. To undertake a nationally coordinated demersal trawling survey of anglerfish on the Rockall Plateau. 2. To undertake counts of anglerfish using the new TV chariot. 3. To tag anglerfish with data storage tags and return them to the sea. 4. To obtain temperature and salinity profiles at each trawling station. Narrative Scotia departed Aberdeen harbour at 1100 on Saturday 27 October. A scientific meeting was held with all scientific staff on the afternoon of departure. After the long passage to Rockall, Scotia arrived at the site of the first trawl sample at 0815 on Monday 29 October. Scotia then proceeded with the survey, taking samples as planned. On the afternoon of that first day, inspections were made with the TV chariot of sample sites to the north east of Rockall, within those areas proposed as possible for closure to protect coral . This inspection indicated that no coral was present in the area. The survey then proceeded according to plan, shooting approximately four trawl hauls per day. During periods of darkness, the TV chariot was deployed, initially to familiarise the relevant staff and crew in its operation, and ultimately to obtain video footage of anglerfish and deep-water coral. On the evening of Sunday 4 November, special trawl hauls were taken on Byron Bank on the west of Rockall Plateau to catch anglerfish for tagging. Poor weather was then encountered causing some delays and making fishing operations on unknown grounds too risky: several stations were omitted in the northwestern area as a result. The weather deteriorated towards the end of the survey (reaching Beaufort Force 9) such that only two hauls were conducted on Monday 5 November. The continued poor weather did not allow for any further of the planned stations to be sampled in deep water and instead two additional samples were taken on the Rockall Bank. Finally, on the afternoon of Tuesday 6 November, the continued deterioration in the weather (predicted storm force) caused the survey to be abandoned and the vessel was forced to return to Aberdeen a day ahead of schedule. The vessel returned to Aberdeen on the morning of Thursday 8 November. |
| Chief scientist | Paul G Fernandes (Fisheries Research Services Aberdeen Marine Laboratory) |
| Project | MF0353 |
| Coordinating body | FRS |
| Cruise programme |  (0.08 MB) |
| Cruise report | (0.02 MB) |
| Ocean/sea areas | |
| General | North East Atlantic Ocean (limit 40W) |
| Specific | Rockall Plateau |
| Track charts | (0.07 MB) |
