RV Cefas Endeavour 05/21
Cruise summary report
| Cruise Info. | |
| Ship name (ship code) | RV Cefas Endeavour (74E9) |
| Cruise identifier | 05/21 |
| Cruise period | 2021-03-06 — 2021-04-04 |
| Status | Completed |
| Port of departure | Lowestoft, United Kingdom |
| Port of return | Lowestoft, United Kingdom |
| Purpose | Research |
| Objectives | Aims
1. To carry out a beam trawl survey of the Celtic Sea, South Western Approaches and Western Channel. Deploying standardised 4m beam trawls (x2) and water column profiler. Station selection will be based on a fully random stratified approach with gears deployed at each station where appropriate. Catches from the trawls will be processed to obtain information on: - Distribution, size composition and relative abundance of fish, cephalopods, and benthic invertebrates. - Biological parameters of selected species. The data obtained from processing the trawl catches is collected in support of the UK fisheries data collection (previously the EU DCF) and will be submitted to ICES working groups and will also support other Cefas biological studies. 2. To recover the smart-buoy located at the West Gabbard which had moved off site due to weather and place a new smart-buoy as the correct designated location. 3. Collect information on: a. Distribution of macrobenthos, b. Distribution and classification of anthropogenic debris, c. Distribution of fish in relation to their environment. 4. To collect full depth, conductivity, temperature, and depth profiles at each trawl station alongside surface and near-bottom water samples. 5. To continuously log sub-surface (3m) salinity, temperature, fluorometry and other environmental data using the 'Ferrybox'. 6. To record details of surface sightings of any marine mammals, sea turtles and large pelagic fish, and record observations on jellyfish aggregations. 7. Collect water samples for caesium & tritium analysis under SLA22. 8. To tag and release specimens of Plaice, Pleuronectus platessa as part of a Cefas plaice tagging project. 9. To collect biological samples and information for Greater weever, Trachinus draco as part of a Cefas study on species growth and biology. 10. To carry out fieldwork testing of new motion-compensating marine balance(s) provided by Lorrimar Weighing Ltd with a view to purchasing replacements for the current POLS balances. 11. Collect samples of selected benthic invertebrate species for analysis of contaminants. 12. To collect genetic samples from anglerfish Lophius piscatorius, Black bellied anglerfish Lophius budegassa and European hake Merluccius merluccius in support of the GECKA project. 13. To tag and release specimens of various commercially exploited skates (Rajidae) and other select elasmobranchs. 14. Collect specimens of selected species for ID purposes as well as length-weight measurements where still required. 15. All diadromous species (including allis shad Alsoa alsoa, twaite shad Alsoa fallax and lampreys (Petromyzontidae)) found dead on capture are to be frozen and returned to the lab for analyses, marking samples with the survey, station, and date to support DiadES project. 16. Collect a vertical ring net sample at the west Gabbard smart buoy, contributing to the Lifeform project (Defra) as part of the UK monitoring network for zooplankton. Narrative in attached cruise report. |
| Chief scientist | Ian David Holmes (Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science Lowestoft Laboratory) |
| Project | ICES Q1 South-west Ecosystem beam Trawl Survey (Q1SWECOS) |
| Coordinating body | International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) |
| Cruise programme |  (0.32 MB) |
| Cruise report | (1.55 MB) |
| Ocean/sea areas | |
| General | English Channel Celtic Sea |
| Specific | Celtic Sea, South Western Approaches (ICES Division VIIf, g, h), Western English Channel (ICES Divisions VIIe) |
| Measurements | |
| Physical oceanography | |
| CTD stations | Quantity: number of stations = 35 Description: 35 CTD casts with ESM2 profiler or SAIV mini CTD. Salinity samples collected at surface and bottom using niskin at 35 stations. |
| Chemical oceanography | |
| Trace elements | Quantity: number of samples = 11 Description: 11 samples taken for Caesium/Tritium analysis |
| Other chemical oceanographic measurements | Quantity: number of samples = 20 Description: Surface water chlorophyll filtrations at 20 stations |
| Biology and fisheries | |
| Phytobenthos | Quantity: number of samples = 1 Description: 1 plankton sample taken |
| Demersal fish | Quantity: number of hauls = 115 Description: 107 valid stations completed with 2 x 4m beam trawl, plus 8 invalid. |
| Taggings | Quantity: number of specimens = 14 Description: 14 elasmobranchs tagged with Petersen discs. |
| Other biological/fisheries measurement | Quantity: number of samples = 5853 Description: Length distributions of all fish and selected shellfish/cephalopod species at every haul, plus 5853 biological samples, including otoliths collected for ageing purposes for commercial fish |
