RV Dana 04/2021
Cruise summary report
| Cruise Info. | |
| Ship name (ship code) | RV Dana (26D4) |
| Cruise identifier | 04/2021 |
| Cruise period | 2021-05-31 — 2021-06-11 |
| Status | Completed |
| Port of departure | Hirtshals Havn, Denmark |
| Port of return | Hirtshals Havn, Denmark |
| Purpose | Research |
| Objectives | The survey is part of the Mackerel Egg Surveys (MEGS) carried out triennially, coordinated by the ICES Working Group on Mackerel and Horse Mackerel Egg Surveys (WGMEGS). These surveys aim to investigate the spatial distribution and abundance of eggs, divided into different developmental stages (1A to 5). In particular the abundance of eggs in stage 1A is relevant, as this is needed for the further analyses. Furthermore, the fecundity of adult fish is investigated. The egg and adult data are then combined and applied in egg production methods, in order to provide fisheries-independent estimates of spawning stock biomass (SSB) indices.
More specifically, the present cruise DANA 04/2021 contributed to the mackerel egg survey in the North Sea (NS MEGS). Due to a lack of available vessel time, the survey area in the North Sea is usually covered one year later than the survey area in the Northeast Atlantic (NEA MEGS). The last NEA MEGS took place in 2019, i.e. the NS MEGS had actually been planned for 2020. However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the survey was postponed to 2021. Objectives 1. Sets of fishing hauls in different depths at the same position to investigate the vertical distribution of adult mackerel (EASIMACK). 2. Collection of additional mackerel gonads and other tissue samples. 3. Experiment on mackerel egg development and test of an image analysis system. 4. Collection of genetic samples of mackerel, anchovy and hake. 5. Test of an accoustic camera which was mounted on the fishing trawl. |
| Chief scientist | Bastian Huwer (Technical University of Denmark, National Institute of Aquatic Resources) |
| Cruise report |  (1.58 MB) |
| Ocean/sea areas | |
| General | North Sea |
| Track charts | (0.36 MB) |
