FRV Scotia 0622S
Cruise plan
| Cruise Info. | |
| Ship name (ship code) | FRV Scotia (748S) |
| Cruise identifier | 0622S |
| Cruise period | 2022-05-13 — 2022-06-02 |
| Status | Completed |
| Port of departure | Aberdeen, United Kingdom |
| Port of return | Aberdeen, United Kingdom |
| Purpose | Research |
| Objectives | Objectives
1. To complete a mackerel and horse mackerel egg survey (as part of the ICES Triennial Survey), on the western shelf and shelf edge in the area from 53N to 60N. 2. To collect samples of adult mackerel, by trawling, for atresia and fecundity analysis back at the laboratory. Procedures Scotia will depart from Aberdeen on 13 May and proceed North, heading through the Pentland Firth to the first plankton station at 58 45'N 04 45W. Scotia will then continue sampling on this latitude utilising adaptive survey methodology. Survey transect spacing will typically be at 30' intervals latitudinally with stations on the transects at 30' E/W intervals. Plankton stations will be undertaken using the Gulf VII sampler with sampler mounted RBR duo CTD that will record salinity and temperature during the deployments. The plankton tows will require the vessel to deploy at and maintain a steady speed of four knots. The sampler will be lowered at a steady rate (6 m/min) from the crane to within 5 m of the seabed or 200 m – whichever is shallower. The sampler will then be recovered at the same speed. Once aboard, plankton samples will be washed into the sampler net before being removed, fixed in 4% formalin and scored for egg abundance. Trawl samples will be taken at the discretion of the scientist in charge. There should be a maximum of ten trawls for the whole survey, and will usually be taken at or adjacent to the shelf edge. The adaptive design means that the precise length of each survey transect cannot be defined in advance and instead sampling continues on the transect until zero or very small numbers of newly spawned mackerel eggs are found. Sampling and processing of samples will be undertaken in accordance with the protocols and procedures as laid down in the WGMEGS Sampling at Sea manual, SISP 6, V2.3. Scotia will proceed to survey in a southerly direction to the west coast of first Scotland and then Ireland. During recent mackerel egg surveys the spawning behaviour of mackerel has required Scotia to steam well beyond Rockall Bank and onto Hatton Bank in an attempt to fully delineate the mackerel spawning boundary during this survey period. The expectation is that this situation will continue during this survey in 2022 albeit the adaptive survey protocols will generally be adhered to. The southern survey boundary is at 53N, which is almost level with Galway Bay. The half landing is expected to be around 22-23 May. Following the half landing the survey will proceed back over the area covered in the first half with transects interlaced between those carried out during the first half. Normal contact will be retained with the laboratory throughout, and with other vessels taking part in the survey. |
| Chief scientist | Finlay Burns (Marine Scotland Aberdeen Marine Laboratory) |
| Cruise programme |  (0.23 MB) |
| Ocean/sea areas | |
| General | North East Atlantic Ocean (limit 40W) |
| Specific | Shelf edge west of UK and Ireland |
