Western English Channel and Western Approaches

Sediment grain size parameters; Seabed photography; Zoobenthos taxonomic abundance; Zoobenthos taxonomy-related counts; Sediment water content, porosity and surface area

Cameras; sediment grabs; rock dredges

Cruises in 1981-1982 with RV Corella were wide ranging dredge surveys of the whole western Channel while those of 1984-1985, using the chartered FV Harm Johannes, concentrated on the grounds between Plymouth and the Lizard out to 12 miles. Since 1990 annual surveys from RV Corystes in July-August have worked 32 of the stations set up in 1984, and since 1993 survey areas south of the Eddystone (25 stations) and in Lyme Bay (20 stations) have been added. Size and age frequency distributions are available for all stations. Some maturity data have also been collected. Underwater CCTV pictures from the survey areas from 1990-1993 are available on video tape, as are a large number of still photographs. ROXANN has been run throughout the survey since 1992 when the system was ground-truthed using a Day Grab. The 1990 and 1991 cruises included an exercise to compare the dredging performance of RV Corystes with commercial vessels. Samples of scallops for growth studies have been collected over a wide area of the Channel and Western Approaches to a depth of 175m.

Palmer, D.W. (1996) Surveys of Scallop Stocks in the Western Channel 1990-1996., CEFAS. Shellfish Resource Team Report.; Dare, P.J., Palmer, D.W., Howell, M.L. and Darby, C.D. (1996) Experiments to assess the relative dredging performances of research and commercial vessels for estimating the abundance of scallops (Pecten maximus) in the western English Channel fishery., MAFF Fisheries Research Technical Report, No. 96.

Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, Lowestoft Laboratory
Pakefield Road
Lowestoft
Suffolk
NR33 OHT
United Kingdom