FRV Alba Na Mara 1710A
Cruise plan
| Cruise Info. | |
| Ship name (ship code) | FRV Alba Na Mara (74NM) |
| Cruise identifier | 1710A |
| Cruise period | 2010-12-02 — 2010-12-16 |
| Status | Completed |
| Port of departure | Leith, United Kingdom |
| Port of return | Fraserburgh, United Kingdom |
| Purpose | Fisheries |
| Objectives | Objectives
1. To determine the abundance, length and age of sandeels in the sediment in regions east of the Firth of Forth and Turbot bank. 2. To collect and preserve frozen samples of sandeels for analysis of age and maturity. Procedure All required gear will be loaded onto the vessel on 30 November. Some relevant equipment will have been used in the previous trip and this will be left aboard. Scientific staff will join the vessel on 1 December. Two regions important to sandeel fishing (Figure 1) will be surveyed, near the Firth of Forth and the Turbot bank. In the first half of the survey a series of 8 dredge stations (previously surveyed between 1999 and 2003) near the Firth of Forth will be sampled in the same manner as in 2008 and 2009 (Table 1). Further stations in this region will be sampled if time permits. In the second half of the survey, the dredge will be deployed at station numbers 20 26 (Table 1) in order to sample areas covered previously. At all stations, the dredge tows will be repeated depending on catch quantities up to a maximum of five times. Dredge duration will be approximately 10 minutes. At each dredge station, all sandeels will be identified to species, measured and otoliths (5, 8 or 10 per half centimetre) will be taken for age determination at different lengths. From each of the survey locations, sub-samples of 100 sandeels < 9 cm and a 100 sandeels > 9 cm (age 1+) will be individually frozen for later analysis. Following the completion of survey work, Alba na Mara will return to Fraserburgh for unloading on 16 December 2010. Normal contacts will be maintained with the laboratory. |
| Chief scientist | Robert Watret (Marine Scotland Aberdeen Marine Laboratory) |
| Project | MF01ta |
| Cruise programme |  (0.15 MB) |
| Ocean/sea areas | |
| General | North Sea |
| Specific | East of the Firth of Forth and Turbot bank |
