FRV Alba Na Mara 1522A
Cruise plan
| Cruise Info. | |
| Ship name (ship code) | FRV Alba Na Mara (74NM) |
| Cruise identifier | 1522A |
| Cruise period | 2022-10-10 — 2022-10-18 |
| Status | Completed |
| Port of departure | Oban, United Kingdom |
| Port of return | Troon, United Kingdom |
| Purpose | Research |
| Objectives | Objectives
1. To conduct an acoustic survey designed to survey the area where the 6a sprat fishery has taken place in the preceding decade years, to ultimately provide an estimate of the abundance and distribution of sprat in the area. 2. Obtain samples of herring and sprat 3 per half cm for biological analysis, including age, length, weight, sex, maturity and ichthyophonus infection. 3. All other species caught will be measured for length. 4. Genetics will be taken for 30 fish per haul except where fish are found to be spawning in this case 100 fish will be sampled genetically to contribute to a genetic baseline. Herring will also be sampled for genetics at 50 per haul with associated biological sampling as above for each of these fish. Procedure Fishing gear will be transported to Oban by lorry on 06 October and loaded onto the vessel. Scientific staff will travel by lab vehicle to join the vessel in Oban on 09 October. The vessel will commence the survey on 10th October at the earliest opportunity. The survey will be carried out within an area bounded by approximately 56.3°N to 57.4°N and 05.5°W to 06.5°W. Echointegration will be carried out at 38 kHz. Data gathered in the hours of darkness will not be used for stock assessment. Trawling operations will be carried out as and when marks are identified. Otoliths will be collected from a sub-sample of the herring and sprat 3 per half cm to determine age. The maturity state and presence of Icthyophonus infection will also be recorded as will genetic samples for stock identification purposes. TSG data will be gathered during the survey. The survey will involve following a pre-set survey pattern, at a steaming speed of 8 knots. The vessel will berth at Troon at the end of the survey ready for unloading on 18 October. Staff will return to the laboratory on 18 of October by lab vehicle. |
| Chief scientist | Steven O'Connell (Marine Scotland Aberdeen Marine Laboratory) |
| Cruise programme |  (0.37 MB) |
| Ocean/sea areas | |
| General | Inner Seas off the West Coast of Scotland |
