RV Cefas Endeavour 22/16
Cruise summary report
| Cruise Info. | |
| Ship name (ship code) | RV Cefas Endeavour (74E9) |
| Cruise identifier | 22/16 |
| Cruise period | 2016-10-03 — 2016-10-19 |
| Status | Completed |
| Port of departure | Portland Harbour, United Kingdom |
| Port of return | Lowestoft, United Kingdom |
| Purpose | Research |
| Objectives | Aims
1. To carry out the fifth and final of five annual multidisciplinary pelagic surveys of the Western Channel and Celtic Sea waters as part of project Poseidon to estimate the biomass of, and gain insight into the population of, the small pelagic fish community (sprat, sardine, mackerel, anchovy, horse mackerel, herring). Plan Following an induction for staff new to the RV Endeavour, she will sail at 6:00 in the morning of the 3rd of October. If weather permits the first day will be used to calibrate the four acoustic frequencies (off Portland head) and to conduct shake-down tows with the 20x40 herring mid-water trawl, the Rosette/CTD and zooplankton nets. After set-up of the rosette, Tom Hull will be dropped off in Portland by sea-rider whilst the other equipment will be alibrated/tested. The survey proper will then commence; acoustic transects and marine mammal and bird observations will be conducted during daylight only, as will the ad hoc pelagic trawl operations to identify acoustic marks and obtain biological information. Biological samples will be processed between trawls. At night, plankton and oceanographic data will be collected using frame-mounted ringnets and Rosette (or Niskin bottles) respectively at fixed primary stations. Ichtyoplankton, including pelagic fish egg and larvae, and gelatinous organisms will be identified, staged (eggs), measured (larvae) and quantified from the plankton samples on board and fish otoliths will be read onboard to determine the age of small pelagic species. The RV will aim to complete the final part of the survey which will include transects in the Bristol Channel, according to the same protocol as described above. This year transects around the Isles of Scilly will be ignored due to time constraints. Weather and time permitting a transect will be ran between the inner Bristol Channel and the Celtic Deep area to study the effects of frontal systems on top predators. On completion of the work the ship will disembark in Swansea in the late afternoon of the 19th of October. |
| Chief scientist | Jeroen Van der Kooij (Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science Lowestoft Laboratory) |
| Cruise programme |  (0.33 MB) |
| Cruise report | (1.92 MB) |
| Ocean/sea areas | |
| General | English Channel Celtic Sea |
| Specific | Western English Channel and Celtic Sea/Celtic Deep (ICES areas VII e, f, g) |