RV Cefas Endeavour 01/23
Cruise summary report
| Cruise Info. | |
| Ship name (ship code) | RV Cefas Endeavour (74E9) |
| Cruise identifier | 01/23 |
| Cruise period | 2023-01-19 — 2023-01-28 |
| Status | Completed |
| Port of departure | Lowestoft, United Kingdom |
| Port of return | Liverpool, United Kingdom |
| Purpose | Research |
| Objectives | Primary Aims
1. To collect samples of demersal fish for chemical analysis from the Celtic and Irish Sea in support of the Clean Seas Environmental Monitoring Programme (CSEMP) (OSPAR Common indicator and UK specific Indicator assessments). 2. To collect fish samples at CSEMP sites for fish disease, biochemical markers (e.g. EROD and bile metabolites analysis and AChE) (UK specific Indicator Assessments). 3. To conduct marine litter surveys of seafloor macrolitter (following the ICES guidelines) and microplastics in sediment and biota, to gather data towards the OSPAR Commission Common Indicator and UK Evidence Group marine litter indicators. 4. To conduct marine litter surveys (OSPAR Common indicator and UK specific Indicator assessments) by collecting benthic litter information from collecting sediment samples for litter analysis. 5. To conduct opportunistic sampling of seafloor macro litter for Non-Native Species (NNS) research and development under the Clean Atlantic 2 programme. 6. Collect information on dab stomach content analysis to feed into the dabstats database to assess benthic community changes over time. Secondary Aims 1. To collect water conductivity, temperature, nutrient, and depth information, and Plankton community information to provide additional knowledge on Eutrophication levels (OSPAR Common indicator and UK specific Indicator assessments) using CTD Rosette. 2. To collect additional fish for the EA and NRW to analyse as part of their Water Framework Regulations remit. EA require 9 fish from stations 534, 584, 706, 715, 769, 796 and Liverpool Bay trend. NRW require up to 9 Dab from Welsh stations 616, 649, 654 and 776. 3. To collect mackerel and sediment from four areas (English Channel, Celtic Sea, Cardigan Bay, and Irish Sea) following a request via the Working Group on Marine Chemistry (MCWG). Samples will be collected as close as possible to complementary fishing and sediment stations. Samples will used to investigate the distribution of a specific mackerel parasite as part of a large international study. 4. To collect flounder to analyse under the 25 Year Environment Plan H4 contaminants in wildlife indicator. Recently, work has been carried out under the BECEMO project (C8417) to look at biological effects in flounder in estuaries. To link up this work with the CSEMP programme, flounder have been sampled from coastal CSEMP stations to allow a comparison between what is observed in dab offshore and flounder in estuaries. Narrative in attached cruise report. |
| Chief scientist | Freya Goodsir (Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science Lowestoft Laboratory) |
| Project | Clean Seas Environmental Monitoring Programme (CSEMP) |
| Cruise report |  (2.41 MB) |
| Ocean/sea areas | |
| General | English Channel Irish Sea and St. George's Channel Celtic Sea |
