FRV Scotia 1515S
Cruise plan
| Cruise Info. | |
| Ship name (ship code) | FRV Scotia (748S) |
| Cruise identifier | 1515S |
| Cruise period | 2015-10-19 — 2015-11-07 |
| Status | Completed |
| Port of departure | Aberdeen, United Kingdom |
| Port of return | Aberdeen, United Kingdom |
| Purpose | Research |
| Objectives | Objectives
1. To undertake a Type 1 monitoring survey of the designated features of EGM using the Hammon grab (Arctica islandica including offshore subtidal sands and gravels as their supporting habitat and offshore deep-sea muds). 2. To undertake a Type 1 monitoring survey of the designated features of NSP using the Hammon grab (Arctica islandica including offshore subtidal sands and gravels as their supporting habitat). 3. Replicate samples (three per station) will be collected from a subset of stations to inform an assessment of the small-scale patchiness of Arctica islandica (contingency objective). 4. MBES bathymetry and backscatter data collection on both EGM and NSP NCMPA sites (contingency objective). 5. To sample inshore sites in potentially sheltered locations in the Moray Firth and around Orkney (contingency objective). Narrative All staff will join Scotia either on the evening of 18 October or early on 19 October so allowing the vessel to depart Aberdeen Harbour as early as possible on 19 October. After completion of safety drills and exercises, Scotia will proceed eastwards towards the East Gannet and Montrose Fields Nature Conservation Marine Protected Area (EGM), stopping at a suitable location to undertake gear testing if required. The vessel will then make passage to the work site and commence sampling with the 0.25m2 Hammon grab. On completion of sampling over the EGM site, Scotia will transit to the Norwegian Sediment Plain (NSP) and commence sampling again with the large Hammon grab. In total, 156 sediment and benthic infaunal samples will be collected from the EGM site and 120 from the NSP area. On completion of Objectives 1 and 2 and if time permits, further sampling as described in Objective 3 will be undertaken over both the EGM and NSP sites. In the event of downtime because of weather and depending on the severity of conditions encountered, sampling effort will be diverted to complete the tasks described in Objectives 4 and 5 above. |
| Chief scientist | Michael R Robertson (Marine Scotland Aberdeen Marine Laboratory) |
| Cruise programme |  (0.49 MB) |
| Ocean/sea areas | |
| General | North Sea |
