FRV Scotia 1213S
Cruise plan
| Cruise Info. | |
| Ship name (ship code) | FRV Scotia (748S) |
| Cruise identifier | 1213S |
| Cruise period | 2013-09-18 — 2013-09-30 |
| Status | Completed |
| Port of departure | Ullapool, United Kingdom |
| Port of return | Aberdeen, United Kingdom |
| Purpose | Fisheries |
| Objectives | Objectives
1. To map the composition, distribution and abundance of continental slope species including invertebrates on the deepwater slope west of the Hebrides and Rosemary Bank to depths of 2000 m. 2. To collect temperature at depth during all deepwater hauls using a data storage sensor attached to the trawl headline. 3. To collect samples (genetics and otoliths) for key species for population studies and undertake any other sampling requests, e.g. MSFD litter recording. 4. Continued use of groundgear bag on selected stations to further evaluate gear catchability of deepwater fish species at different depths as well as providing valuable benthic data. Procedure The deepwater slope survey will commence 24 hours after coming into Ullapool and proceed south trawling the shelf slope between 500-1800 m. The primary objective is to map the composition, distribution and abundance of fish species on the deepwater slope west of the Hebrides. Trawling will mainly be at fixed stations at 500, 750, 1000, 1500 and 1800 m. During the 2012 survey, 3 additional hauls were completed in 2000m in squares 43D9, 44D9 and 45D9. For 2013 the intention would be to try and repeat these and addition be able to expand the number of tows at a similar depth in some of the more southerly transects though the feasibility of this will be discussed further with the bridge officers during the survey. In 2012 an intensive transect of hauls were successfully completed in square 44D9 that involved deploying the trawl at 100m depth intervals right down the continental slope to 2000m. In 2013, the intention is to try to repeat the process but on one of the more southerly transects. Once again, the details and feasibility of this can be discussed with the bridge officers during the survey. Trawl duration will be 1 hour. The exact locations of the trawling stations will be notified to the vessel at the commencement of the survey. No CTD deployments will be made. If time permits, trawl stations on Rosemary bank will be conducted as has been done in previous years. The schedule has been set under the WTD and the expectation is that trawling will be conducted within the hours of daylight. It may be necessary to trawl at night if daylight fishing time is lost due to poor weather or other problems, but the night-time will mainly be spent in passage from one sampling area to the next. From all tows, the entire catch will be sorted, weighed and length-frequency data collected. Benthic invertebrate by-catch will also be recorded. A ground gear bag will be attached on certain tows for sampling of benthos. Additional sampling to be carried out as outlined in the objectives. Once again, all hauls will be processed and the data entered using the newly acquired EDC (Electronic Data Capture) and FSS (Fishing Survey System). Scotia will return to Aberdeen for the morning of 30 September. |
| Chief scientist | Finlay Burns (Marine Scotland Aberdeen Marine Laboratory) |
| Cruise programme |  (0.45 MB) |
| Ocean/sea areas | |
| General | North East Atlantic Ocean (limit 40W) |
| Specific | Continental shelf and slope west of UK and Ireland |
| Track charts | (0.17 MB) |
