Celtic Explorer CE11008
Cruise summary report
| Cruise Info. | |
| Ship name (ship code) | Celtic Explorer (45CE) |
| Cruise identifier | CE11008 |
| Cruise period | 2011-06-18 — 2011-07-07 |
| Status | Completed |
| Port of departure | Galway, Ireland |
| Port of return | Galway, Ireland |
| Purpose | Research |
| Objectives | Northwest Herring Acoustic Survey. The summer 2011 survey represents the forth in the new time series (est 2008). The Irish component was carried out to cover:
1. The regions around western Ireland 2. The regions west of Scotland that are usually covered Marine Scotland 3. The Northern sector of the Irish Sea survey (AFBI). The survey was coordinated through the ICES Working Group of International Pelagic Surveys (WGIPS). Combined survey data on herring distribution, abundance and age are used to provide a measure of the relative abundance of herring within the Malin shelf stock complex. Survey data on stock numbers at age are submitted to the ICES Herring Assessment Working Group (HAWG) and used in the annual stock assessment process. Aims 1. Carry out a pre-determined survey cruise track based on the known summer herring distribution 2. Collect biological samples from directed trawling on fish echotraces to determine age structure and maturity state of survey stock 3. Determine an age stratified estimate of relative abundance and biomass of herring within the survey area (ICES Divisions VIIb & IaS-N) using acoustic survey techniques 4. Collect physical oceanography data as horizontal and vertical profiles from a deployed sensor array. 5. Perform interlaced co-surveyed areas with other participant survey vessel(s) 6. Collect detailed morphometric data on individual herring to contribute to stock discrimination studies for SGHERWAY 7. Conduct a sighting survey of marine mammals and seabirds encountered during the survey (IWDG) 8. Collect Boarfish (Capros acer) target strength measurements and samples where possible |
| Chief scientist | Ciaran O'Donnell (Marine Institute Galway) |
| Cruise report |  (5.01 MB) |
| NPRC | (0.12 MB) |
| Ocean/sea areas | |
| General | Inner Seas off the West Coast of Scotland North East Atlantic Ocean (limit 40W) |
| Specific | Malin shelf |
