FRV Scotia 1420S
Cruise plan
| Cruise Info. | |
| Ship name (ship code) | FRV Scotia (748S) |
| Cruise identifier | 1420S |
| Cruise period | 2020-09-24 — 2020-10-09 |
| Status | Completed |
| Port of departure | Ullapool, United Kingdom |
| Port of return | Aberdeen, United Kingdom |
| Purpose | Research |
| Objectives | Objectives
1. To collect digital still images and video footage of the seabed from inside and outside the Haddock Box (RHB). 2. To assess the bathymetric distribution of haddock and deepwater species including invertebrates by carrying out a downslope transect of trawls on: (a) The eastern slope of Rockall Bank at the approximate isobaths of 300m, 500m 1000m 1500m, 1800m and 2000m. (b) The western or south-western slope of Rockall Bank at regular 100m isobaths between 300m and 1200m inclusive. 3. To record marine litter at each trawl station for MSFD. Procedure Collection of still and video footage will allow an assessment of whether the RHB closure has also affected a change in the benthic communities on account of reduced trawling pressure. Given the current adoption of area based measures in marine conservation (e.g. Marine Protected Areas) and the period of time the RHB has been in place, a study of this type potentially offers insight into what might occur in inshore areas that also receive protection. Trawl sampling will cover the southern Rockall Slopes to compliment similar studies undertaken in 2011 and 2012 on the northern slopes and will allow a faunal comparison of Rockall with the Hebridean Shelf slope, Rosemary Seamount, and the Faroe-Shetland Channel for which a large dataset already exists within MSS. Trawl sampling will not be undertaken in any protected areas other than the RHB. |
| Chief scientist | James Drewery (Marine Scotland Aberdeen Marine Laboratory) |
| Cruise programme |  (0.32 MB) |
| Ocean/sea areas | |
| General | North East Atlantic Ocean (limit 40W) |
| Specific | Rockall Bank |
