RV Cefas Endeavour 04/23
Cruise summary report
| Cruise Info. | |
| Ship name (ship code) | RV Cefas Endeavour (74E9) |
| Cruise identifier | 04/23 |
| Cruise period | 2023-03-21 — 2023-04-16 |
| Status | Completed |
| Port of departure | Swansea, United Kingdom |
| Port of return | Lowestoft, United Kingdom |
| Purpose | Research |
| Objectives | Primary Aims
1. To carry out a beam trawl survey of the Celtic Sea, south-western Approaches and Western Channel, deploying standardised 4m beam trawls (x2) and water column profiler. Station selection will be based on a fully random stratified approach with gears deployed at each station where appropriate. Catches from the trawls will be processed to obtain information on: - Distribution, size composition and relative abundance of fish, cephalopods, and benthic invertebrates. - Biological parameters of selected species. - Distribution and classification of anthropogenic debris. The data obtained from processing the trawl catches is collected in support of the UK fisheries data collection (previously the EU DCF) and will be submitted to ICES working groups and will also support other Cefas biological studies. 2. Genomic sampling of selected fish species to study population genomics as part of the Defra project C8503 to improve the methodology to assess finfish, pelagic, data-limited, and non-quota stocks. 3. Collect additional data from dead skates and rays (males: testes weight and outer clasper length; females: ovary weight and shell gland width) and collect a section of vertebral column comprising ca. 6-8 vertebrae from that part overlying the body cavity; samples to be kept frozen - as part of Defra project C8503 to improve the methodology to assess finfish, pelagic, data-limited, and non-quota stocks. Secondary Aims 4. Collect multibeam data throughout the survey. 5. To collect full depth, conductivity, temperature, and depth profiles at each trawl station alongside surface and near-bottom water samples. 6. To continuously log sub-surface (3m) salinity, temperature, fluorometry and other environmental data using the 'Ferrybox'. Collect, retain and filter surface water samples from Ferrybox underway water supply every 12 hours (or once a day) for subsequent chlorophyll sampling in support of SLA25. 7. To record details of surface sightings of any marine mammals, sea turtles and large pelagic fish, and record observations on jellyfish aggregations. 8. Collect water samples for caesium & tritium analysis under SLA22. 9. To collect biological samples and information for greater weever Trachinus draco as part of a Cefas study on species growth and biology. 10. To collect King Scallop Pecten maximus shell height/weight information along with the collection of shell (flat side) for subsequent ageing and growth studies. 11. Collect queen scallops (queenies) Aequipecten opercularis to allow for experimental work on ageing, for L/W relationship analysis, development of length to height parameters and, to provide specimens to Bangor University for further work which will be made available to ICES WGScallop. 12. To collect samples of whelk Buccinum undatum where caught in reasonable quantities (5 kg sample size). Bag and freeze samples for subsequent analysis at Cefas. 13. To collect specimens of pink cuttlefish Sepia orbignyana and elegant cuttlefish Sepia elegans to further Cefas studies. Collect specimens of European common squid Alloteuthis subulata over the survey area – 10 samples of 5 squid each. Additionally, collect Loligo egg masses where found in reasonable quantities, and take photos of any common octopus Octopus vulgaris where encountered. 14. To recover the lost Cefas beam trawl (from 2021) located off the French Coast north of Brest. Opportunistic Aims 15. Tag and release specimens of starry smooth-hound Mustelus asterias, spurdog Squalus acanthias, tope Galeorhinus galeus, common skate complex, blonde ray Raja brachyura and cuckoo ray Leucoraja naevus, in support of the ICES Working Group for Elasmobranch Fishes work to infor |
| Chief scientist | Ian David Holmes (Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science Lowestoft Laboratory) |
| Cruise report |  (1.52 MB) |
| Ocean/sea areas | |
| General | English Channel Celtic Sea |
| Specific | Western Channel and Celtic Sea (ICES areas 27.7.e-j) |
