Resources

FRV Scotia 0517S

Cruise plan

Cruise Info. 
Ship name (ship code)FRV Scotia (748S)
Cruise identifier0517S
Cruise period2017-04-27 — 2017-05-17
StatusCompleted
Port of departureAberdeen, United Kingdom
Port of returnAberdeen, United Kingdom
PurposeResearch
ObjectivesObjectives

1. Undertake bathymetric and groundtruthing survey work in connection with offshore oil and gas pipelines associated with the west of Shetland and Fladen Ground infrastructure.
2. Undertake trials of the smolt trawl in Aberdeen Bay/ Moray Firth

Procedure

MRV Scotia will depart from Aberdeen Harbour on 27 April. Before making passage to the pipeline stations, and after all drills, Scotia will calibrate the multibeam system off Stonehaven. Once this is completed a small boat transfer will be necessary to return P Copland back to Stonehaven Harbour. The nature of the survey work will be heavily dependant on the prevailing weather conditions encountered. The proposed survey is very similar to the work conducted for the previous Renewable and Energy Programme survey in 2016.

A sound velocity profile (SVP) will be collected 500m outside of the survey location. On completion of the SVP, MRV Scotia will complete a multibeam swathe along the length of the targeted pipeline. Survey speed will be four knots. The output will be checked for any anomalous features that could interact with other survey equipment. If features are identified MRV Scotia will relocate in the immediate area and repeat the multibeam swathe along the pipeline until a suitable length of pipeline is identified.

The multibeam data will be assessed to identify changes in the seabed substrate. The substrates will be ground-truthed using a drop-frame camera. The drop-frame will be deployed 500 m from the pipeline off the stern of the vessel using an armoured cable. The drop-frame will be kept at 1.5 m above the seabed/pipeline and towed using the vessel's bow thrusters at a speed of one knot or less (0.5 m per second) on a course perpendicular to the pipeline. Video capability on the drop-frame will be forward looking and vertically mounted. It will also have a transponder enabling its position to be monitored and recorded. The maximum time spent transecting the pipeline will be less than five seconds.

On completion of the TV tows additional multibeam transects will be run parallel to the pipeline alternating the direction of travel for each tow. This will be continued until up to 500 m of seabed has been surveyed on each side of the pipeline. Surface sediment samples will be collected using a day grab to provide additional groundtruthing information.

On completion of the pipeline survey work, MRV Scotia will relocate to Aberdeen Bay or Moray Firth to build on the 2016 trials using the Smolt trawl. This comprises a video trawl net for use pelagically close to the surface for the enumeration of salmon and sea trout smolts as they emigrate through near coastal waters in spring. The key purpose for the days allocated on Scotia to test the net will be to ensure that the net itself can be deployed and function correctly, and establish protocols for shooting and retrieving the net and accompanying equipment as a prelude to more extensive work during the smolt run of 2018 in the Moray Firth. The net is designed to operate close to the surface with entrained fish directed through a detachable camera and PIT detector frame at its end. Although the first deployments may be without the frame in place, it is intended to test the deployment and operation of the camera set up and PIT detector arrangements at an early stage in the testing.
Chief scientistPeter Hayes (Marine Scotland Aberdeen Marine Laboratory), Robert J Kynoch (Marine Scotland Aberdeen Marine Laboratory)
Cruise programmeFRV Scotia 0517S cruise programme 0517s.pdf  (0.09 MB) 
Ocean/sea areas 
GeneralNorth Sea
North East Atlantic Ocean (limit 40W)
SpecificMoray Firth (Aberdeen Bay). West of Shetland and Fladen Ground