RV Prince Madog PD24/04B
Cruise summary report
| Cruise Info. | |
| Ship name (ship code) | RV Prince Madog (74P2) |
| Cruise identifier | PD24/04B |
| Cruise period | 2004-06-24 — 2004-07-13 |
| Status | Completed |
| Port of departure | Peterhead, United Kingdom |
| Port of return | Menai Bridge, United Kingdom |
| Purpose | Research |
| Objectives | The main objective of the Richardson Arctica cruise was to collect live and dead Arctica islandica (Bivalvia) (clam) shells using a newly designed and tested 'Arctica' dredge from various sites in the Fladen Ground, northern North Sea. Sediment samples were collected with a Day grab and a 2-m beam trawl deployed at selected sites with suitable sediment to collect Arctica. Underwater video observations and still camera photographs of the sea bed were taken at selected sites to assess the concentration of live clams and dead shell material on the seabed. Selected shells of both live and dead collected clams will be resin-embedded and sectioned for sclerochronological analyses ie. The growth increments in the shell will be counted to determine their age and measured to investigate changes in shell growth rates. Dead collected shells will be radiocarbon dated. On the return to Menai Bridge a small sample of Arctica were collected from Red Wharf Bay, Anglesey.
John Hartley's portion of the cruise returned to three exploratory drill sites that had used water-based mud (WBM), low toxicity oil-based mud (OBM) and diesel OBM. These sites were surveyed in 1987, 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1998. The 1998 survey was the first survey since the wells were decommissioned. Biological and sediment samples were collected using a day grab and cores of sediment taken using a multicorer from up to 10 sites at each of 3 stations. |
| Chief scientist | Chris A Richardson (University of Wales, Bangor School of Ocean Sciences) |
| Cruise report |  (0.96 MB) (0.25 MB) |
| Ocean/sea areas | |
| General | North Sea Irish Sea and St. George's Channel |
| Specific | Fladen Ground (North Sea), Red Wharf Bay (Irish Sea) |
| Track charts | (0.78 MB) |
| Measurements | |
| Geology and geophysics | |
| Dredge | Quantity: number of hauls = 3 Description: 3 "Arctica" dredges deployed and recovered on 13/7/04 in Red Wharf Bay, Anglesey |
| Dredge | Quantity: number of hauls = 11 Description: 8 "Arctica" dredges or 2 m beam trawls and 3 grab deployed and recovered on 2/7/04, Site J |
| Dredge | Quantity: number of hauls = 5 Description: 4 Day Grabs and 1 2 m beam trawl deployed and recovered on 3/7/04, Site P |
| Dredge | Quantity: number of hauls = 6 Description: 6 "Arctica" dredges or 2 m beam trawls deployed and recovered on 30/06 and 08/7/04, Site I |
| Dredge | Quantity: number of hauls = 8 Description: 8 "Arctica" dredges or 2 m beam trawls deployed and recovered on 30/06 and 08/7/04, Site G |
| Dredge | Quantity: number of hauls = 6 Description: 6 "Arctica" dredges or 2 m beam trawls deployed and recovered on 30/06/04, Site D |
| Dredge | Quantity: number of hauls = 5 Description: 4 "Arctica" dredges or 2 m beam trawls & 1 grab deployed and recovered on 3/7/04, Site K |
| Dredge | Quantity: number of hauls = 49 Description: 47 Day Grabs and 2 2 m beam trawls deployed and recovered on 6/7/04. Site 21/12. |
| Dredge | Quantity: number of hauls = 41 Description: 41 Day grabs deployed and retrieved on 9/7/04 Site 14/11. |
| Dredge | Quantity: number of hauls = 14 Description: 14 "Arctica" dredges or 2 m beam trawls deployed and recovered on 29/06/04, Site B. |
| Dredge | Quantity: number of hauls = 3 Description: 3 "Arctica" dredges or 2 m beam trawls deployed and recovered on 01/7/04, Site E |
| Dredge | Quantity: number of hauls = 14 Description: 14 "Arctica" dredges or 2 m beam trawls deployed and recovered on 28/06/04, Site F |
| Dredge | Quantity: number of hauls = 6 Description: 5 "Arctica" dredges or 2 m beam trawls and 1 grab deployed and recovered on 01/7/04, Site C |
| Dredge | Quantity: number of hauls = 8 Description: 8 "Arctica" dredges or 2 m beam trawls deployed and recovered on 27/06/04, Site A |
| Dredge | Quantity: number of hauls = 6 Description: 6 "Arctica" dredges or 2 m beam trawls deployed and recovered on 30/06 and 08/7/04, Site H |
| Grab | Quantity: number of hauls = 5 Description: 4 Day Grabs and 1 2 m beam trawl deployed and recovered on 3/7/04, Site P |
| Grab | Quantity: number of hauls = 1 Description: 1 Day grab deployed and recovered on 3/7/04 Site O |
| Grab | Quantity: number of hauls = 1 Description: 1 Day grab deployed and recovered on 3/7/04 Site L |
| Grab | Quantity: number of hauls = 5 Description: 4 "Arctica" dredges or 2 m beam trawls & 1 grab deployed and recovered on 3/7/04, Site K |
| Grab | Quantity: number of hauls = 3 Description: 3 Day grabs deployed and recovered on 2/07/04, Site J |
| Grab | Quantity: number of hauls = 11 Description: 8 "Arctica" dredges or 2 m beam trawls and 3 grab deployed and recovered on 2/7/04, Site J |
| Grab | Quantity: number of hauls = 6 Description: 5 "Arctica" dredges or 2 m beam trawls and 1 grab deployed and recovered on 01/7/04, Site C |
| Grab | Quantity: number of hauls = 3 Description: 3 Day grabs deployed and recovered on 01/07/04, Site E |
| Grab | Quantity: number of hauls = 3 Description: 3 Day grabs deployed and recovered on 28/06/04, Site F |
| Grab | Quantity: number of hauls = 1 Description: 1 Day grab deployed and recovered on 3/7/04, Site N |
| Grab | Quantity: number of hauls = 3 Description: 3 Day grabs deployed and recovered on 29/06/04, Site B |
| Grab | Quantity: number of hauls = 14 Description: 14 Day grabs deployed and retrieved on 7/704, Site Donan Field (1, 3 and 15) |
| Grab | Quantity: number of hauls = 41 Description: 41 day grabs deployed and retrieved on 7/7/04, Site 16/27 |
| Grab | Quantity: number of hauls = 11 Description: 11 Day grabs deployed and retrieved on 6/7/04, Site Forties Field (A, B and C) |
| Grab | Quantity: number of hauls = 49 Description: 47 Day Grabs and 2 2 m beam trawls deployed and recovered on 6/7/04. Site 21/12. |
| Core - soft bottom | Quantity: number of deployments = 1 Description: Multicorer deployed and recovered on 06/07/04. Site 21/12. |
| Core - soft bottom | Quantity: number of cores = 3 Description: 2 multicorers deployed and retrieved on 7/7/04, Site 16/27 |
| Bottom photography | Quantity: number of deployments = 1 Description: Video camera deployed to record sea floor characteristics, 28/06/04, Site F |
| Bottom photography | Quantity: number of deployments = 2 Description: Video camera and still camera deployed to record sea floor characteristics 29/6/04, SiteB |
| Bottom photography | Quantity: number of deployments = 2 Description: Video camera and still camera deployed to record sea floor characteristics 2/7/04, Site J |
