RV Cefas Endeavour 16/20
Cruise summary report
| Cruise Info. | |
| Ship name (ship code) | RV Cefas Endeavour (74E9) |
| Cruise identifier | 16/20 |
| Cruise period | 2020-10-03 — 2020-11-07 |
| Status | Completed |
| Port of departure | Lowestoft, United Kingdom |
| Port of return | Lowestoft, United Kingdom |
| Purpose | Research |
| Objectives | Aims
1. Carry out the tenth PELTIC survey: pelagic ecosystem survey of the western English Channel, Celtic Sea, including (for the first time) Cardigan Bay (for Welsh Government), to estimate the biomass of-, and gain insight into the populations of the small pelagic fish community including sprat (Sprattus sprattus), sardine (Sardina pilchardus), mackerel (Scomber scombrus), anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus), horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus). The PELTIC timeseries on sardine in area 7 will be assessed at an ICES benchmark meeting in February 2021 (WKWEST); sprat biomass data from the western English Channel will feed into the stock assessment of sprat in area 7de (HAWG). a. To carry out a fisheries acoustic survey during daylight hours only using four operating frequencies (38, 120, 200 and 333 kHz) to map and quantify the small pelagic species community. b. To trawl for small pelagic species using a 20x40m herring (mid-water) trawl in order to obtain information on: Species and size composition of acoustic marks; Age composition and distribution for small pelagic species; Length weight and maturity information of pelagic species; Stomach contents of selected species 2. Collect biological data (size, weight, age and maturity) on range of data-limited fish species, including European seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax), black seabream (Spondyliosoma cantharus), striped red mullet (Mullus surmuletus), garfish (Belone belone), saury pike (Scomberesox saurus). 3. Collect plankton samples using two ring-nets with 80 μm, and 270 μm mesh sizes at fixed stations (red squares on map below). Carried out at night by vertical haul and samples will be processed onboard: a. Ichthyoplankton (eggs and larvae, 270 μm) of pelagic species will be identified, counted and (in case of clupeids) staged and measured onboard to identify spawning areas. b. Zooplankton (80 μm) will be stored for zooscan analysis back in the lab. 4. Water column sampling (yellow stations on map below). At fixed stations along the acoustic transect, a CTD (either an ESM2 profiler or a Seabird mounted on a Rosette sampler) will be deployed to obtain measurements of environmental properties within the water column. Water column profile and water samples will provide information on chlorophyll concentration, dissolved oxygen, salinity, temperature, turbidity, and dissolved inorganic nutrients concentration as well as the relevant QA/QC samples for calibration of the equipment. Water samples will be collected and fixed on board for analysis post-survey. Samples for analysis of the phytoplankton and microzooplankton communities will also be collected at the subsurface at fixed sampling stations. 5. Seabirds and Marine Mammals. Locations, species, numbers and activities observed will be recorded continuously during daylight hours by two Marinelife observers located on the bridge. 6. Ferrybox Continuous CTD/Thermo-salinograph. Continuously collect oceanographic data at 4 m depth during steaming, including chlorophyll concentration (from calibrated fluorescence). 7. To carry out hourly measurements of the phytoplankton functional groups using an online flowcytometer, connected to the Ferrybox. 8. To further trial the continuous Plankton Imager. 9. Collect between 25-50 specimens per species (anchovy, boarfish, herring, horse mackerel, mackerel, sardine) and freeze for further analysis in the lab supporting a study on microplastics in fish stomachs. 10. Collect 20 whole sardine specimens at two locations in the western English Channel for a genetic study. 11. Collect 10 specimens per species (small sprat, herring, sardines, pearlsides and anchovy) for species ID training in Weymouth lab. 12. Collect a zooplankton sample using the 200 µm mesh ring-net at the West Gabbard2 SmartBuoy, for the Lifeform project (Defra) as part of the UK monitoring network of zooplankton. 13. Record macro-litter observations in the trawl |
| Chief scientist | Jeroen Van der Kooij (Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science Lowestoft Laboratory) |
| Cruise programme |  (0.41 MB) |
| Cruise report | (2.15 MB) |
| Ocean/sea areas | |
| General | English Channel Celtic Sea Unknown |
| Specific | Western English Channel, Celtic Sea, Cardigan Bay (ICES Divisions VIIe, VIIf and parts of VIIa and VIIg) |
