FRV Alba Na Mara 2119A
Cruise plan
| Cruise Info. | |
| Ship name (ship code) | FRV Alba Na Mara (74NM) |
| Cruise identifier | 2119A |
| Cruise period | 2019-11-28 — 2019-12-02 |
| Status | Completed |
| Port of departure | Leith, United Kingdom |
| Port of return | Leith, United Kingdom |
| Purpose | Research |
| Objectives | Objectives
1. To undertake flatfish sampling in St Andrews Bay, Inner Firth of Forth and the Forth estuary (Tancred) in support of the Clean Seas Environment Monitoring Programme (OSPAR and MSFD). 2. To undertake sediment sampling in the St Andrews Bay, Inner Firth of Forth and the Forth estuary in support of the Clean Seas Environment Monitoring Programme (OSPAR and MSFD. 3. To undertake survey of sea-surface litter in surface waters of the Forth and Scottish east coast and record seabed litter collected by the trawls (MSFD D10). 4. To undertake fish, shellfish and sediment sampling in support of the microplastics ROAME (ST014). Procedure Fishing and scientific gear will be loaded in Leith at the end of the previous survey, prior to Alba na Mara sailing on 28 November. After all drills have been undertaken, the vessel will steam to the first sampling station, the order of which will be decided by the SIC in conjunction with the master and will be influenced by prevailing weather conditions. Flounder will be sampled in St Andrews Bay and in the Forth estuary (Tancred bank), Dab will be sampled in the Inner Firth of Forth. Five sediment stations will be sampled at each of the St Andrews Bay, Inner Firth of Forth and the Forth estuary, and at each station two grabs will be taken: one for contaminants and one for microplastics. The neuston trawl (catamaran) will be deployed in the Forth estuary, the Firth of Forth, and off the east coasts of Fife and East Lothian, whenever possible according to fishing activities and weather conditions. This net is to be towed at five knots, or less, for 30 minutes in order to collect and sample microplastics floating on the sea surface. A variety of fish species will be adventitiously sampled from the trawls and frozen for work-up in the laboratory as part the microplastics ROAME (ST014). Records will be made of seabed litter caught by the trawls. On completion of this survey, passage will be made to Leith from where all scientific gear and samples will be transferred to MSS (Aberdeen). |
| Chief scientist | Gillian Packer (Marine Scotland Aberdeen Marine Laboratory) |
| Cruise programme |  (0.50 MB) |
| Ocean/sea areas | |
| General | North Sea Unknown |
| Specific | Firth of Forth, St Andrews Bay |