FRV Alba Na Mara 1922A
Cruise summary report
| Cruise Info. | |
| Ship name (ship code) | FRV Alba Na Mara (74NM) |
| Cruise identifier | 1922A |
| Cruise period | 2022-11-29 — 2022-12-03 |
| Status | Completed |
| Port of departure | Leith, United Kingdom |
| Port of return | Leith, United Kingdom |
| Purpose | Research |
| Objectives | Objectives
1. To undertake flatfish sampling in the Forth and St Andrews Bay (with sediment) in support of the Clean Seas Environment Monitoring Programme (OSPAR and UK MS D8). 2. To undertake fish sample preparation for subsequent eco-toxicological analyses (biological effects). 3. To undertake survey of seabed litter and sea-surface litter in the Firth of Forth (UK MS D10). 4. To collect flatfish and sediment for the OSPAR:CONnECT (CONtaminants of Emerging Concern and Threat in the marine environment) project in the Firth of Forth. Narrative Scientific equipment was loaded onto Alba na Mara on 28 November in Leith, ahead of the cruise. Scientific staff joined the ship on the 28th November. The ship sailed from Leith on 29 November at 07:00. The ship proceeded to sail to the Kingston Hudds fishing site where fishing commenced at 08:45. Two trawls were completed and the required number of 50 dab were caught. The ship then sailed to the Forth inner offshore sediment sites where five out of five sites were successfully completed. The ship then sailed to the St Andrews Bay sediment sites where three out of five sediment site were completed and two further sites were attempted, however, there was not enough sediment in the grab so no samples were taken. The ship then went to anchor in St Andrews Bay at 18:15. The next morning the anchor was raised at 07:00 and fishing commenced in St Andrews Bay at 07:40. Three hauls returned the required number of 50 flounder. The two remaining St Andrews Bay sediment sites were attempted again and successful, therefore, five out of five sites were completed. The ship sailed to the Firth of Forth where three cat tows were successfully completed. The ship then returned to anchor at Musselburgh at 17:00. The next morning anchor was raised at 07:00 and the ship sailed to the Tancred Bank fishing site where seven beam trawls were successful in returning the required 50 flounder alongside eight extra flounder taken for the CONnECT project. The Lower Forth Estuary sediment sites were then sampled and five out of five were completed as well as an extra sediment sample at Tancred Bank for the CONnECT project and two further cat tows were completed. One cat tow was not possible to obtain because it was to be towed beneath the Forth bridges and it was too dark to clearly see any obstacles in the narrow channel. The ship then went to port in Leith at 19:00. On return to the lab it was discovered that the Tancred Bank sediment site had been sampled twice by mistake with one labelled LFE GC. Also the LFE GC site had been sampled but labelled LFE EB. Therefore, the extra Tancred sample was deleted from the login spreadsheet and the LFE EB sample was re-named LFE GC instead. |
| Chief scientist | Maria Hunter (Marine Scotland Aberdeen Marine Laboratory) |
| Cruise programme |  (0.55 MB) |
| Cruise report | (0.03 MB) |
| Ocean/sea areas | |
| General | North Sea Unknown |
| Specific | St Andrews Bay, Firth of Forth |
