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FRV Alba Na Mara 1809A

Cruise plan

Cruise Info. 
Ship name (ship code)FRV Alba Na Mara (74NM)
Cruise identifier1809A
Cruise period2009-11-06 — 2009-11-22
StatusCompleted
Port of departureGreenock, United Kingdom
Port of returnFraserburgh, United Kingdom
PurposeFisheries
ObjectivesObjectives

1. To undertake fish and sediment sampling in the Firths of Forth and Clyde and Minch areas in support of the temporal trend and biomarker monitoring studies.

2. To undertake sampling of flounder collected from upper Clyde on behalf of SEPA West.

3. To sample fish and sediment from the Clyde and Solway Firth CSEMP stations.

4. To determine bile metabolite concentrations on board.

Procedure

Staff will travel with the remaining scientific gear and join the vessel on 6 November. After all gear has been loaded and stowed, Alba na Mara will sail for the Clyde and Solway Firth areas.

During the course of this survey, fish, and sediments from trawl tracks, will be sampled from:
Outer Clyde, Pladda (plaice); 5 random fixed sediment sites for chemistry and benthos (CSEMP)
Inner Clyde, Garroch Head, Irvine Bay, Hunterston, Skelmorlie and Holy Loch (plaice)
Upper Clyde, Bowling (flounder), to be sampled by SEPA and transferred to Alba na Mara
Solway Firth (plaice); 5 random fixed sediment sites for chemistry and benthos (CSEMP)
Colonsay (plaice), Broad Bay (plaice).

On, or before, completion of the west coast sampling, there will be a half-landing before Alba na Mara will sail for the east coast. M McKenzie will disembark and C Robinson will join before the vessel will head for the Firth of Forth to complete the sampling programme - Firth of Forth, Blackness (flounder) and St Andrews Bay (flounder).

On completion of this survey, Alba na Mara will return to Fraserburgh where all scientific gear and samples will be transferred to the ML Aberdeen.

Rest day provision for this cruise will be provided by a half-landing, at some convenient time and place to be decided during the cruise.

Liquid nitrogen and other chemicals will be carried abroad for the preservation and storage of biological material.

Normal contacts will be maintained with the Laboratory.
Chief scientistAlistair D McIntosh (Marine Scotland Aberdeen Marine Laboratory)
ProjectAE11p
Cruise programmeFRV Alba Na Mara 1809A cruise programme 1809a.pdf  (0.49 MB) 
Ocean/sea areas 
GeneralInner Seas off the West Coast of Scotland
SpecificFirth of Clyde and Solway Firth.
Track chartsFRV Alba Na Mara 1809A cruise track — 1809atrk.pdf (0.31 MB)