RV Cefas Endeavour 05/18
Cruise summary report
| Cruise Info. | |
| Ship name (ship code) | RV Cefas Endeavour (74E9) |
| Cruise identifier | 05/18 |
| Cruise period | 2018-03-15 — 2018-04-13 |
| Status | Completed |
| Port of departure | Swansea, United Kingdom |
| Port of return | Lowestoft, United Kingdom |
| Purpose | Research |
| Objectives | Aims
1. To carry out an integrated monitoring survey of the Celtic Sea, southwestern approaches and the western Channel using a random stratified survey design for the purposes of providing fish stock assessment data and the collection of associated ecosystem information. A. Deployment of two standardised 4m beam trawls. One trawl with blinder fitted; one with no blinder fitted. Catches from the trawls will be processed to obtain information on: - Distribution, size composition and relative abundance of fish, shellfish, cephalopods, and benthic invertebrates. - Age-length distribution of selected fish species. - Biological parameters of selected species. - Distribution of fish in relation to their environment. - Distribution of macrobenthos and anthropogenic debris. - Length, weight & maturity information in support of the EU Data Regulation. The data obtained from processing the trawl catches is collected in support of the EU Data Collection Framework and will be submitted to ICES working groups and will also support other Cefas biological studies. B. Water column sampling. Water column profile and water samples using a Niskin with ESM2 logger will be collected at each trawl station, providing profile information for chlorophyll, oxygen, salinity temperature, nutrient samples and the relevant QAQC samples for calibration of the equipment. Vertical plankton nets/ring nets will also be deployed. C. Sediment and benthos at a station. Sediment samples will be collected at one end of the tows along the trawl transect using a mini-hamon grab. These samples will be used for collecting benthic macro infauna (5mm sieve), benthic infauna (1mm sieve), ediment particle size analysis. D. Sediment redox. SPI camera dips (with upto 5 replicates at each location. will be collected at one end of the tow. These data will be linked to the sediment and benthic samples so should occur at an equivalent site to those samples. E. 2m beam trawl deployments. Where SPI camera deployment is not possible, a 2m beam trawl may be deployed to supplement and provide contrast to the fish/benthic catches observed in the 4m beams. 2. To continuously log sub-surface (3m. salinity, temperature, fluorometry and other environmental data using the 'Ferrybox'. Additionally, a Flowcytometer (phytoplankton. and plankton image analyser (PIA. for zooplankton may be run in conjunction with the Ferrybox. 3. To record details of surface sightings of any marine mammals, sea turtles and large pelagic fish, and record observations on jellyfish aggregations. 4. Collect water samples for caesium & tritium analysis. 5. To tag/release specimens of various commercially exploited skates and other selected elasmobranches. 6. Collect specimens of selected species for ID purposes as well as length-weight measurements where still required. 7. To collect length and weight measurements of jellyfish caught. 8. To collect other samples in support of active Cefas projects. |
| Chief scientist | Ian David Holmes (Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science Lowestoft Laboratory) |
| Cruise programme |  (0.70 MB) |
| Cruise report | (1.76 MB) |
| Ocean/sea areas | |
| General | English Channel Celtic Sea |
| Specific | Celtic Sea, Southwestern Approaches (ICES Division VII f,g,h), western English Channel (ICES Divisions VIIe) |
