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RV Prince Madog PD12/03

Cruise summary report

Cruise Info. 
Ship name (ship code)RV Prince Madog (74P2)
Cruise identifierPD12/03
Cruise period2003-03-17 — 2003-03-19
StatusCompleted
Port of departureMenai Bridge, United Kingdom
Port of returnMenai Bridge, United Kingdom
PurposeResearch
ObjectivesCEFAS charter. Third in a series of five plankton surveys in the eastern Irish Sea in 2003 to:
1) Determine plaice egg spawning and production.
2) Collect zooplankton samples for copepod production and fish larval feeding studies (not collected on this particular cruise).
Chief scientistNatasha Bunn (Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science Lowestoft Laboratory)
ProjectSpatially structured population modelling of Irish Sea plaice
Coordinating bodyCEFAS, Lowestoft
Cruise reportRV Prince Madog PD12/03 cruise report pd3_03.pdf (0.08 MB) 
Ocean/sea areas 
GeneralIrish Sea and St. George's Channel
Specificeastern Irish Sea
Track chartsRV Prince Madog PD12/03 cruise track — pm3_03trk.pdf (0.06 MB) 
Measurements 
Physical oceanography 
CTD stationsQuantity: number of stations = 49
Description: FSI mini-CTD attached to sampler frame to provide profile of conductivity, temperature and depth. Purpose to monitor/ provide information on environmental paramaters.
Subsurface temperature and salinity measurementsQuantity: number of stations = 16
Description: Samples of sea water from surface/nr surface collected during selected tows. Analysed ashore for conductivity to compare to CTD measurements.
Biology and fisheries 
ZooplanktonQuantity: number of stations = 49
Description: Samples collected using Gulf VII plankton sampler, towed from surface to near bottom in 'V' shaped profile. Volume of water filtered calculated from self-logging flow meters inside nose cone. Eggs and larvae collected in 270um mesh net and preserved in formalin for later analysis. Purpose of analysis - to identify and quantify eggs and larvae.
Eggs and larvaeQuantity: number of stations = 49
Description: Samples collected using Gulf VII plankton sampler, towed from surface to near bottom in 'V' shaped profile. Volume of water filtered calculated from self-logging flow meters inside nose cone. Eggs and larvae collected in 270um mesh net and preserved in formalin for later analysis. Purpose of analysis - to identify and quantify eggs and larvae.