FV Challenge 'A' Young Fish Survey 1987
Cruise summary report
| Cruise Info. | |
| Ship name (ship code) | FV Challenge 'A' (740E) |
| Cruise identifier | Young Fish Survey 1987 |
| Cruise period | 1987-09-04 — 1987-09-21 |
| Status | Completed |
| Port of departure | Whitstable, United Kingdom |
| Port of return | Whitstable, United Kingdom |
| Purpose | Research |
| Objectives | Combined survey using: FV Avon Valley, FV Challenger, FV Jo's Boys, FV Our Tracey, FV Sharowna, FV St Richard and FV Sundance.
Aims: 1. To carry out an inshore beam trawl and push net survey of part of the North Sea and English Channel coasts of young demersal fish in relation to the environment. Including collecting data for juvenile flatfish yearclass size estimation. 2. To continue studies of growth and mortality of young sole in the area off Lowestoft and in Rye Bay Team 2: Beam trawl survey in the Wash and off the north Norfolk coast 5th-9th September. Push net sites sampled throughout the period 4th-21st September. Results: 1. Throughout the whole survey a total of 303 valid hauls using the standard 2m beam trawl and 40 push net sites using the standard 1.5m push net were sampled. All fish caught were identified and measured. Surface salinity and sediment samples were collected and surface temperature and benthos observations were made at each station. Observations of shrimp by-catch were recorded at each station. Samples of plaice were obtained in each of the main area fished for age determination studies. 2. Lowestoft and Rye Bay. Survey of the distribution and abundance of 0-group sole was completed in both areas in preparation for the estimation of overwintering mortality of sole (0-1 group). Live 0-group sole were held in tanks for 24 hours then deep frozen for laboratory estimation of condition factors. Samples of 0-group sole were collected. |
| Chief scientist | Colin L Whiting (Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Lowestoft Fisheries Laboratory) |
| Cruise report |  (0.06 MB) |
| Ocean/sea areas | |
| General | English Channel North Sea |
| Specific | The Wash-Swanage Bay Wash and off the north Norfolk coast |
| Measurements | |
| Physical oceanography | |
| Surface measurements underway (T,S) | Description: Observations made at each station. |
| Biology and fisheries | |
| Phytobenthos | Description: Observations made at each station. |
| Zoobenthos | Description: Observations made at each station. |
| Demersal fish | Quantity: number of hauls = 303 Description: (in total throughout the survey) standard 2m beam trawl in the Wash and off the north Norfolk coast |
| Demersal fish | Quantity: number of hauls = 40 Description: (in total throughout the survey) standard 1.5m push net in the Wash and off the north Norfolk coast |
| Demersal fish | Description: deep frozen sole |
| Demersal fish | Description: samples of 0-group sole |
| Demersal fish | Description: distribution and abundance of 0-group sole |
| Crustaceans | Description: Shrimp by-catch recorded at each station. |
| Other biological/fisheries measurement | Description: samples of plaice for age determination studies |
| Geology and geophysics | |
| Grab | Description: Observations made at each station. |
