FRV Scotia 1722S
Cruise summary report
| Cruise Info. | |
| Ship name (ship code) | FRV Scotia (748S) |
| Cruise identifier | 1722S |
| Cruise period | 2022-11-14 — 2022-12-06 |
| Status | Completed |
| Port of departure | Aberdeen, United Kingdom |
| Port of return | Aberdeen, United Kingdom |
| Purpose | Research |
| Objectives | Objectives
1. Demersal trawling survey (SCOWCGFS-Q4) of the grounds off the north and west of Scotland in ICES Subarea 6a and 7b. 2. To obtain temperature and salinity data from the surface and seabed at each trawling station. 3. Collect additional biological data in connection with the UK Workplan and EU Multi Annual Plan for some parameters required for international coordination. 4. Retrieval and re-deployment of acoustic moorings located at discrete sites within the survey area as part of the INTERREG COMPASS project. Narrative Scotia departed Aberdeen harbour at 0900 and shortly after completed a muster drill for crew and scientific staff. Scotia then proceeded northwards to Aberdeen Bay to deploy the GOV trawl for a trial deployment of the trawl gear. This fulfils the dual purpose of testing the fishing gear as well as the gear parameter sensors but in addition also familiarises both scientists and crew with the fishing gear before deploying on the survey stations. With the net and sensors all working as expected Scotia then proceeded North towards the Pentland Firth and with a following sea was able to make good speed enabling arrival at the first station West of Orkney prior to sunrise on the morning of 15 November. Despite strong wind and rough conditions that characterised much of the first half the easterly/southeasterly wind direction allowed Scotia to maintain steady progress throughout the first half with virtually no disruption encountered. This enabled almost all of the Northern and Western stations to be completed as well as those Northwest of Ireland and close to the Northern Irish Coast. By the time southwesterly gales made an appearance on 24 November Scotia was already heading East and sailing up through the Firth of Clyde having successfully completed 38 of the scheduled 60 GOV stations prior to going alongside in Greenock on the morning of 25 November. A 24 hour mid-survey break followed together with transfer of scientific staff and also a change of CO. Scotia departed Greenock at 10 am on 26 November to commence the passage down through the upper firth towards the trawl stations further south. The strong southerly wind continued through into 26 November as Scotia completed her stations in the Clyde, thereafter, settled weather took over with calmer conditions being experienced for most of the remainder of the survey. The upturn in weather fortunes enabled excellent progress to be made with all the outstanding trawl stations within the Minches and Stanton Banks area as well as the COMPASS mooring retrievals to be completed without significant issue during the final week of the survey. The final trawl deployment was completed, albeit unsuccessfully by late afternoon on 4 December, 12 nm West of Cape Wrath. Scotia set a course for home and was alongside in Aberdeen during the afternoon of 5 December. The majority of the unused trawl gear as well as most of the Scientific gear was retained onboard for use in trawl surveys commencing at the start of the new year. The damaged net and also the worn trawl sweeps and bridles plus selected scientific kit were unloaded early on the morning of 6 December. |
| Chief scientist | Finlay Burns (Marine Scotland Aberdeen Marine Laboratory) |
| Cruise programme |  (0.19 MB) |
| Cruise report | (0.22 MB) |
| Ocean/sea areas | |
| General | Inner Seas off the West Coast of Scotland North East Atlantic Ocean (limit 40W) |
| Specific | North and west of Scotland (ICES areas VIa and VIIb) |
| Track charts | (0.11 MB) |
