RV Corystes COR3/01
Cruise summary report
| Cruise Info. | |
| Ship name (ship code) | RV Corystes (74RY) |
| Cruise identifier | COR3/01 |
| Cruise period | 2001-04-05 — 2001-04-18 |
| Status | Completed |
| Port of departure | Lowestoft, United Kingdom |
| Port of return | Lowestoft, United Kingdom |
| Purpose | Research |
| Objectives | The aims of this cruise were (1) to identify species that are vulnerable to beam trawling disturbance, (2) to describe the impacts of trawling disturbance on the structure and productivity of benthic communities and (3) to examine links between the frequency of trawl tracks in the Silver Pit and satellite and overflight records of trawling activity.
The specific aims of the cruise were: 1. To sample infaunal invertebrates at a series of sites in the Silver Pit that are subject to different levels of trawling disturbance. 2. To survey sites in the Silver Pit with side-scan sonar in an attempt to locate trawl tracks, and to correlate the presence of these tracks with records of trawling activity from other sources (satellite and overflight data). 3. To assess the persistence of trawl tracks on the seabed (subject to beam trawlers working in the Silver Pit area at the time of the cruise). 4. To sample epifauna and fish in the Silver Pit and Hills regions with the 2m beam trawl. 5. To sample epifauna and fish in the Silver Pit and Hills region with the 4m beam trawl. 6. To collect fish and benthic invertebrate species for stable isotope analysis. 7. To collect zooplankton for stable isotope analysis. 8. To collect dabs for bass feeding experiments (C Sweeting). |
| Chief scientist | Simon Jennings (Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science Lowestoft Laboratory) |
| Cruise report |  (0.01 MB) |
| Ocean/sea areas | |
| General | North Sea |
| Specific | Silver Pit, Dogger Bank, Hills |
| Measurements | |
| Biology and fisheries | |
| Zoobenthos | Quantity: number of hauls = 20 Description: Beam trawl (2m) samples of epibenthos |
| Zoobenthos | Quantity: number of hauls = 12 Description: Beam trawl (4m) samples of epibenthos |
| Zoobenthos | Quantity: number of cores = 190 Description: NIOZ cores to 30 cm depth to describe benthic infauna |
| Zoobenthos | Quantity: number of samples = 36 Description: Anchor dredge samples to describe benthic infauna |
| Demersal fish | Quantity: number of hauls = 12 Description: Beam trawl (4m) samples of epibenthos |
| Demersal fish | Quantity: number of hauls = 20 Description: Beam trawl (2m) samples of epibenthos |
| Molluscs | Quantity: number of cores = 190 Description: NIOZ cores to 30 cm depth to describe benthic infauna |
| Molluscs | Quantity: number of samples = 36 Description: Anchor dredge samples to describe benthic infauna |
| Crustaceans | Quantity: number of cores = 190 Description: NIOZ cores to 30 cm depth to describe benthic infauna |
| Crustaceans | Quantity: number of samples = 36 Description: Anchor dredge samples to describe benthic infauna |
| Geology and geophysics | |
| Long/short range side scan sonar | Quantity: activity duration in hours = 30 Description: Sidescan images of Silver Pit seabed to identify trawl marks |
