Sir John Murray 0317SJM
Cruise plan
| Cruise Info. | |
| Ship name (ship code) | Sir John Murray (74IQ) |
| Cruise identifier | 0317SJM |
| Cruise period | 2017-10-31 — 2017-11-08 |
| Status | Completed |
| Port of departure | Troon, United Kingdom |
| Port of return | Troon, United Kingdom |
| Purpose | Research |
| Objectives | Objectives
1. To undertake flatfish and sediment sampling in the Clyde and Solway in support of the Clean Seas Environment Monitoring Programme. 2. To undertake fish sample preparation for subsequent eco-toxicological analyses. 3. To undertake survey of sea-surface litter in the Firth of Clyde and Solway Firth. 4. To undertake fish, shellfish and sediment sampling in support of the microplastics ROAME. Procedure Scientific gear will be loaded on to the Sir John Murray in Troon on 30 October and the vessel will sail on 31 October. Five surface (0-2 cm) sediment samples will be collected by Day grab for contaminant analysis from each of three water bodies in the Firth of Clyde and one in the Solway Firth. Flatfish (dab, plaice or flounder) will be collected for determination of disease status, contaminant concentrations and contaminant-induced biological effects from the Bowling, Holy Loch, Hunterston (contaminants only), Garroch Head, Outer Clyde, and Solway Firth fishing stations. The catamaran neuston net will be towed at five knots in order to survey and sample sea-surface litter from the Solway Firth, the Clyde estuary and the inner, middle and outer Firth of Clyde. Bycatch from the fishing trawls will be sampled adventitiously for determination of microplastics in stomach contents; sediment samples will be taken for determination of microplastics; benthic macrolitter collected during trawling will be identified and quantified. On completion of the survey, passage will be made to Troon where MSS scientific gear and staff will unload. Staff and frozen samples will return to Aberdeen on 8 November. |
| Chief scientist | Craig D Robinson (Marine Scotland Aberdeen Marine Laboratory) |
| Cruise programme |  (0.04 MB) |
| Ocean/sea areas | |
| General | Inner Seas off the West Coast of Scotland Irish Sea and St. George's Channel |
| Specific | Firth of Clyde, Solway Firth. |
