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FFS Walther Herwig III 373

Cruise summary report

Cruise Info. 
Ship name (ship code)FFS Walther Herwig III (06NI)
Cruise identifier373
Cruise period2014-03-01 — 2014-04-23
StatusCompleted
Port of departureSt. George's, Bermuda
Port of returnPonta Delgada, Portugal
PurposeResearch
ObjectivesStudies on the Occurrence and Frequency of Eggs, Larvae and Adult European Eels in the Sargasso Sea. The 373rd cruise of the Walther Herwig took the vessel for the second time since 2011 to the central Sargasso Sea to carry out studies on the distribution and abundance of the early development stages of the European eel (Anguilla anguilla). The core study area ranged from 30° - 24.5°N and 70° - 49°W with stations being sampled along north south transects with an Isaacs - Kidd Midwater Trawl (IKMT). Additionally, seven other IKMT stations were sampled between the core study area and the Azores. The primary objectives of this cruise were the documentation of the distribution and abundances of fish larvae and leptocephali with a focus on the two species of the genus Anguilla and also to provide further delineation of the spawning area of the European eel. The study also planned to gather more understanding of the influence of abiotic factors on the spawning behavior of eels and the distribution of early life stages.
Chief scientistReinhold Hanel (Thünen Institute of Sea Fisheries, Hamburg)
Cruise reportFFS Walther Herwig III 373 cruise report waltherherwigiii_373.pdf (1.88 MB) 
Ocean/sea areas 
GeneralNorth West Atlantic Ocean (limit 40W)
SpecificSargasso Sea