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RV Cirolana CIR6A/99

Cruise summary report

Cruise Info. 
Ship name (ship code)RV Cirolana (74CZ)
Cruise identifierCIR6A/99
Cruise period1999-08-17 — 1999-09-01
StatusCompleted
Port of departureLowestoft, United Kingdom
Port of returnSouth Shields, United Kingdom
PurposeResearch
ObjectivesTo carry out the quarter 3 International Groundfish Survey of the North Sea, sampling at 75 stations, covering the area from latitude 51° 45'N to 61° 30'N.

Aims:
1. To carry out a groundfish survey of the North Sea using a standard GOV trawl in order to obtain information on:
a) distribution, size composition and abundance of all fish species caught
b) age-length distribution of selected species
c) distribution of fish in relation to their environment
d) distribution of macrobenthos and anthropogenic debris
e) surface and bottom temperature and salinity data using CTD
f) length-weight information using individual fish measurements
2. To collect material for fish identification courses.
3. To preserve material from diseased fish.
4. To investigate starfish damage as an indicator of trawling intensity.
5. To monitor epibenthic diversity, using a fine mesh 2m beam trawl.
6. To obtain tissue samples from haddock, whiting, megrim and hake from a variety of locations within the survey area.
7. To obtain samples of approximately 5kg each of cod, plaice and Nephrops norvegicus from a) the southern North Sea and b) the central North Sea.
8. To collect tissue samples from spurdogs for gentic analysis in relation to worldwide population structure.

At each station, a 30 minute tow with the GOV bottom trawl, a 5-minute deployment of a 2m beam trawl and a surface to bottom CTD profile was taken. The total catch taken in the GOV trawl was weighed and sampled by species. Age/length keys will be produced for all the species of commercial importance. Samples from the 2m beam trawl were taken as part of an EU sponsored project on biodiversity of the epibenthos of the North Sea.
Chief scientistJohn H Nichols (Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science Lowestoft Laboratory)
ProjectInternational Bottom Trawl Surveys - North Sea
Coordinating bodyICES
Cruise reportRV Cirolana CIR6A/99 cruise report ci6_99.pdf (0.22 MB) 
Ocean/sea areas 
GeneralNorth Sea
Track chartsRV Cirolana CIR6A/99 cruise track — ci6_99track.pdf (0.02 MB) 
Measurements 
Physical oceanography 
CTD stationsQuantity: number of stations = 75
Description: CTD profiles
Biology and fisheries 
ZoobenthosDescription: Epibenthos samples
Pelagic fishQuantity: number of stations = 75
Description: GOV trawl catches of all fish species
Demersal fishQuantity: number of stations = 75
Description: GOV trawl catches of all fish species