RV Cefas Endeavour 06X/17
Cruise summary report
| Cruise Info. | |
| Ship name (ship code) | RV Cefas Endeavour (74E9) |
| Cruise identifier | 06X/17 |
| Cruise period | 2017-05-07 — 2017-05-11 |
| Status | Completed |
| Port of departure | Falmouth, United Kingdom |
| Port of return | Lowestoft, United Kingdom |
| Purpose | Research |
| Objectives | Aims
To investigate the distribution and abundance of king scallop (Pecten maximus) in areas inaccessible to fishing gear using underwater TV. As part of a wider project to determine the stock status of scallop in the English Channel, underwater TV will be used to compliment scallop dredge surveys taking place in May (Western English Channel) and September (Eastern English Channel). Those areas which are accessible to scallop dredges will be surveyed as part of the dredge surveys but selected areas that are inaccessible due to gear conflicts, incompatible substrate types or conservation measures will be assessed during this survey. Narrative Scientific staff joined the vessel by 1430hrs (GMT) Saturday 7th May and the vessel sailed from Falmouth at 2000hrs, arriving at the first station position at 2320hrs (Survey area 1, Cornwall SW). Inshore Survey areas where static gear concentrations were expected were to be surveyed during daylight hours only, so the first station was carried out 12nm from the coast. The STR SeaSpyder drop frame was used throughout the survey and was deployed with an HD video and stills camera and EMS2 logger (CTDF profiler). Eleven minutes of HD video and HD photo images were recorded at each station. The vessel proceeded to transit between the 25 station positions in survey area 1 to enable drop frame deployments at each. This first survey area was completed by 0500hrs 8th May and the vessel transited to the high priority survey area 4 (Devon offshore) arriving at 1400hrs. Thirteen station deployments were carried out in this area which was completed by 0200hrs 9th May. The vessel steamed North to the eastern end of area 3 (Lyme Bay) and operations started here at 0410hrs 9th May. Drop frame deployments were carried out at 27 station positions in area 3, including 2 stations which will also form part of a scallop dredge survey to follow. This survey area was completed at 0335hrs 10th May. From 0420hrs an additional 9 stations, between survey areas 3 and 4, and to be surveyed on the forthcoming dredge survey using a chartered fishing vessel. At 1400hrs the vessel steamed east up the English Channel arriving at a site SW off Beachy Head at 2300hrs and where high densities of scallop were found during an earlier scallop dredge survey. A 1-hour video transect was carried out before the vessel left this area at 0015hrs 11th May on route for Lowestoft via the West Gabbard buoy where a water sample was taken. The vessel returned to Lowestoft at 2000hrs 11th May. |
| Chief scientist | Andrew Raymond Lawler (Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science Lowestoft Laboratory), Karen Vanstaen (Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science Lowestoft Laboratory) |
| Cruise programme |  (0.77 MB) |
| Cruise report | (0.41 MB) |
| Ocean/sea areas | |
| General | English Channel |
| Specific | Western English Channel |
