FRV Alba Na Mara 2112A
Cruise plan
| Cruise Info. | |
| Ship name (ship code) | FRV Alba Na Mara (74NM) |
| Cruise identifier | 2112A |
| Cruise period | 2012-11-19 — 2012-12-04 |
| Status | Completed |
| Port of departure | Fraserburgh, United Kingdom |
| Port of return | Leith, United Kingdom |
| Purpose | Fisheries |
| Objectives | Objectives
1.To undertake flatfish sampling in the estuary and Firth of Clyde in support of CSEMP, temporal trend and integrated assessment of contaminants monitoring studies. 2.To undertake flatfish sampling in the Solway Firth in support of the Clean Seas Environment Monitoring Programme, including integrated assessment studies. 3.To undertake sediment sampling in the Solway Firth in support of the temporal trend and integrated assessment of contaminants monitoring studies. 4.To undertake flatfish and sediment sampling at Colonsay in support of temporal trend monitoring programme. 5.To undertake sampling of sediments and of flounder in St Andrews Bay, and the Forth estuary (or Firth of Forth) in support of CSEMP and the integrated assessment of biomarker monitoring programme. 6.To collect samples in support of investigations into whether Amoebic Gill Disease (AGD) is present in Scottish flatfish Procedure Fishing and scientific gear will be loaded onto the Alba na Mara in Fraserburgh on 16 November. The scientific staff will join the vessel on 19 November, ready to sail at 08:00. The survey programme will be followed, with any amendments (due to weather, etc) made as required and Alba na Mara is expected to berth in Leith on the evening of 3 December. Weather permitting, Alba na Mara will sail first to the Solway/Clyde, collecting plaice and sediment samples from Colonsay on the outward, or return leg, depending upon weather. Flatfish (plaice and dab) will be collected from the Solway CSEMP fishing site and tissues sampled for chemical and ecotoxicological analyses; gill samples will be collected for the AGD study. One sediment sample for benthic invertebrates and one for sediment chemistry will be collected from each of the five Solway and five outer Clyde CSEMP sites. In the Clyde, flatfish and sediments will be sampled from the outer Firth of Clyde at Pladda (plaice); the inner Firth of Clyde at Garroch Head (plaice), Skelmorlie (plaice), Holy Loch (plaice and dab, or flounder). If required, plaice will be collected from Hunterston and Irvine Bay in the Clyde. Alba na Mara will then make passage around to the east coast where flatfish will be sampled from St Andrews Bay (flounder), and either the lower Forth estuary at Tancred Bank (flounder), or the inner Firth of Forth (dab or flounder). Sediments will be collected from St Andrew's Bay (for MSS) and from the lower Forth estuary (for SEPA). On completion of this survey, passage will be made to Leith where all scientific gear and samples will be transferred to the ML Aberdeen. |
| Chief scientist | Craig D Robinson (Marine Scotland Aberdeen Marine Laboratory) |
| Project | ST03n; AQ03n |
| Cruise programme |  (0.04 MB) |
| Ocean/sea areas | |
| General | North Sea Inner Seas off the West Coast of Scotland |
| Specific | Firth of Clyde, Solway Firth, Colonsay, St Andrews Bay, Firth of Forth |
