RV Cefas Endeavour 03/20
Cruise summary report
| Cruise Info. | |
| Ship name (ship code) | RV Cefas Endeavour (74E9) |
| Cruise identifier | 03/20 |
| Cruise period | 2020-02-17 — 2020-03-07 |
| Status | Completed |
| Port of departure | Lowestoft, United Kingdom |
| Port of return | Falmouth, United Kingdom |
| Purpose | Research |
| Objectives | Primary Aims
To carry out an otter trawl survey of the demersal fisheries resources in the Celtic Sea and western English Channel using a Jackson 19 otter trawl in order to collect appropriate data to inform assessments of the fish stocks and fish assemblages in the area. The main aims are to collect relevant data on the: a) Distribution, size composition and abundance of all fish and shellfish species caught; b) Age-length distribution of commercially important fish species; c) Individual length, weight, sex and maturity information for commercial fish species (in support of the EU Data Collection Regulation); d) Distribution of macrobenthos, gelatinous zooplankton and anthropogenic debris; e) Surface and bottom temperature and salinity data using CTD. To collect multibeam data and fisheries acoustic data at three operating frequencies (38, 120 & 200 kHz) continuously throughout the survey. These data will be used to determine the spatial scale of various habitats and to aid the subsequent beam trawl survey fishing the same areas on the following survey (CEND 4/20). Narrative RV Cefas Endeavour left Lowestoft at 1500 h on February 17 2020, delayed 60 hours due to Storm Dennis. Transit was made to the survey area, with a plankton dip completed en route, arriving on stratum 9, prime CI7 at approximately 1800 h on February 18. A SVP cast was followed by the successful fishing of the station using the Jackson 575 monk trawl. Between February 18 and 27, a further 32 tows were completed in the survey area and 13 more CTD deployments (including 9 SVP), which covered 6 strata and completing one (stratum 9) were conducted. By February 29, a mid-survey port visit in Falmouth allowed a change of scientific staff and to take on supplies, with entry to the port brought forward due to forecast inclement weather. The survey resumed on March 1. Over the next five days, a further 24 tows were completed (with one invalid; BC18), and eight CTD deployments (four of which were SVP), covering an additional two strata and completing a further two; strata 3 and 4. The ship then came back into Falmouth for mechanical work in dry dock on March 7, which lasted until March 15. With the mechanical issue not resolved, and ever-growing concerns from COVID-19, part 2 of the survey was concluded on March 17 2020. |
| Chief scientist | Louise Straker Cox (Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science Lowestoft Laboratory) |
| Cruise programme |  (0.46 MB) |
| Cruise report | (2.02 MB) |
| Ocean/sea areas | |
| General | English Channel Bristol Channel Celtic Sea |
| Specific | Bristol Channel, Celtic Sea and western English Channel (ICES areas 7e, 7f, 7g, 7h) |
| Measurements | |
| Physical oceanography | |
| CTD stations | Quantity: number of stations = 22 Description: 22 CTD casts; 8 with ESM2 profiler and 14 with CTD only |
| CTD stations | Quantity: number of stations = 22 Description: Salinity samples collected at surface and bottom using niskin at 22 stations |
| Biology and fisheries | |
| Zooplankton | Quantity: number of stations = 1 Description: 1 station completed with 200um plankton ring net. Sample retained for a secondary aim. |
| Demersal fish | Quantity: number of hauls = 57 Description: 57 stations completed with monk otter trawl, 1 invalid and 1 additional. |
| Taggings | Quantity: number of specimens = 109 Description: 99 elasmobranchs tagged with Petersen discs, 10 with electronic tags |
| Other biological/fisheries measurement | Quantity: number of samples = 3760 Description: Length distributions of all fish and selected shellfish/cephalopod species at every haul, plus 3760 biological samples, including otoliths collected for ageing purposes for commercial fish |
| Moorings, landers, buoys | |
| Biology and fisheries | |
| Zooplankton | 51° 57' 34" N 2° 6' 52" E — |
