1 R1/12
Not to be cited without prior reference to the FRS Marine Laboratory, Aberdeen FRV Scotia
Cruise 1203S REPORT
31 July – 26 August 2003 Personnel
K A Coull (In charge) S P R Greenstreet
M R Robertson L Robinson
T Blasdale (31 July – 11 August) H Fraser
M Mathewson J Mills
M Gault (12-26 August) I Penny
L Smith (12-26 August) R Milne (31 July – 26 August) Fishing Gear: GOV Trawl BT 137
Objectives
1. To undertake an internationally co-ordinated demersal trawling survey of the North Sea.
2. Obtain temperature and salinity profiles at each trawling station.
3. Carry out benthic sampling along the track of as many trawl stations as possible.
4. Obtain (20 * 25 litres) low nutrient seawater from statistical rectangle 45F1/
Out-turn days per project: 21 days – MF01Tb, 6 days C735 Narrative
Sailing was delayed due to fault with the scanmar logging PC. Scotia sailed from Aberdeen at 1400 on 31 July and commenced trawling at the station east of Aberdeen. Two hauls were completed at this station as part of the comparison work between done on groundgear A and groundgear B. Benthic sampling was completed satisfactorily during the night and all equipment proved to be effective. Three further stations (off the Northeast coast of Scotland) were completed with both sets of groundgear before the vessel continued into the Moray Firth area. Scotia then worked in a northerly direction, completing stations in the Moray Firth, Orkney and west Shetland area before moving to stations east of Shetland on the morning of 6 August. The vessel then worked in an easterly direction, entering Norwegian waters later the same day. The vessel then worked in a southerly direction and completed the stations on the northern part of the survey area before docking in Aberdeen on 11 August to pick up scientific equipment. Scotia sailed again at 0930 on 12 August and resumed work at the station off Montrose then continued in an easterly direction. Poor weather conditions on 14 August prevented the deployment of benthic and hydrographic equipment at three trawl stations. Stations in the Norwegian and Danish sectors were completed before Scotia docked in Esjberg for a scheduled break on 19 August. On sailing
2
the following day, Scotia had to spend a short time at anchor to deal with a motor propulsion unit difficulty. Repair was completed to the main engines but resulted in the bow-thruster being out of action for a period. The vessel then worked westerly, completing the stations in the German and Dutch sectors on the morning of 23 August. After completing the survey area on the afternoon of 25 August, Scotia proceeded to Aberdeen, docking at 0930 on the morning of 26 August.
Results
The survey area was covered successfully with a total of 96 valid trawls completed. The trawl haul at station 49E7 was regarded as a foul haul and with the loss of time needed to repair the net, it was not possible to carry out a repeat tow.
The number of 0-group haddock and whiting caught per 30 minute (standard haul duration) in each statistical rectangle are shown in Figures 1 and 2 respectively. Where repeat tows with a different ground gear were done, the figures for each gear are given.
All length frequency data, haul summary information and age data for cod, haddock, whiting, saithe, Norway pout, sprat, herring, and mackerel were punched at sea and stored on micro computer. The additional biological data collected to meet the EU Data Regulation 1639/2001 were punched at sea.
The Scanmar system was used relatively successfully throughout the cruise to monitor headline height, wing spread, door spread and distance covered during each haul.
The thermosalinigraph was run continuously throughout the cruise.
Water samples were collected from statistical rectangle 45F1 for use in various projects in the Laboratory.
Forty GFS stations were sampled with benthic sampling equipment. At each of these 40 stations a 2 m epi-benthic dredge was towed for 5min along the seabed. The epi- benthos samples obtained were passed through 5 mm and 2 mm sieves. The 5 mm sieve fraction was sorted and processed as far as possible on board the vessel, with the organisms captured identified to species, measured and weighed. The 2 mm sieve fraction, and organisms from the 5 mm sieve fraction that could not be identified, or which were too small to be weighed on board, were preserved in 4% formalin for processing back at the laboratory. Samples of benthic infauna were obtained using a 0.25 sq.m Box Core, deployed twice at each station, a and 0.1 sq.m van Veen grab, deployed five times at each station. Sediment samples were collected from each of the box core and grab samples.
Samples of benthic meiofauna were collected from both of the box core samples and from two of the grab samples. The Box core samples were passed through 4 mm and 1 mm sieves, while the grab samples were passed through a sieve tower consisting of 4 mm, 2 mm, 1 mm, 0.5 mm and 0.25 mm sieves. All the infauna sieve fractions from each sample were preserved in 4% formalin solution for processing on return to the laboratory.
At the last GFS station fished in each day (always the first station sampled using the benthic samplers in each night) samples of Norway pout, grey gurnard, common dab, long rough dab, plaice and lemon sole were collected for diet and food consumption analysis back at the laboratory.
K A Coull 6 October 2003
Seen in Draft: Captain Peter Ramsay, OIC, Scotia
4 2 0 2 4 6 8 53N
54N 55N 56N 57N 58N 59N 60N 61N 62N
1341 447
3 2 418 656
0 4
6 2
2 10 995
0 3
8 1
1 12
6 0
0 3 0
0 2 3 1 2
8 14
6 56
0 5
2
3
17 71
2 1 14
3 52
71
1503
36 2378
154 26
154 3
10 0
2
2
5 1
0 6
1
1 0
0
1 0 1
1 1
7 4 3 0
0 0
0 0
0 0
3 1
0 1
0
3 0
0 0
0 1
0
2 1 0
0 0
Scotia Groundfish Survey - August 2003
52 51 50 49 48 47 46 45 44 43 42 41 40 39 38 37 36 35
E6 E7 E8 E9 F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 F6 F7 F8
0+haddock per 30 minutes
Figure 1
4 2 0 2 4 6 8 53N
54N 55N 56N 57N 58N 59N 60N 61N 62N
2086 766
6 3 289 137
79 56
23 32
26 5202 3762
0 0
5 0
2 150
173 0
0 2 0
0 0 0 0 5
49 80
5 19 16
51 0
32
302 59
0 0 8
9 996 949
2553
13 294
115 1
25 66
55 16
0
22
19 7
0 11
0
1 0
0
2 0 0
0 2
3 33 32 1594
52 9
3800 82
15 31
13 163
0 0
5
4 7
0 0
1 1
3
11 13 7
2 0
Scotia Groundfish Survey - August 2003
52 51 50 49 48 47 46 45 44 43 42 41 40 39 38 37 36 35
E6 E7 E8 E9 F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 F6 F7 F8
0+whiting per 30 minutes
Figure 2
4 2 0 2 4 6 8 53N
54N 55N 56N 57N 58N 59N 60N 61N 62N
Scotia Groundfish Survey - August 2003
52 51 50 49 48 47 46 45 44 43 42 41 40 39 38 37 36 35
E6 E7 E8 E9 F0 F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 F6 F7 F8
25/08 31/07
Cruise Track - Station Positions
Circulation List: Cruise Programmes and Reports
SCOTIA VESSEL
Programmes - Mr J A Morrison for approval. Reports - Mr J A Morrison for approval.
Issue two copies of Record of Haul and Station Numbers pro-forma with Scientist-in-Charge's copy of Scotia and Clupea programmes.
Two xerox copies of track chart for reports to be sent to Dr L Rickards.
PROGRAMMES ONLY Lab staff Non-lab staff
Mr J T M Hunter Island Cmdr Faroes (Faroes only)
Mr T Reid Flag Officer, Denmark (Danish part of N Sea only) Mr P J Copland Coastguard
Mr J Dunn Dr J Baxter
Mr A Beaton Mr G Howard Security
PROGRAMMES AND REPORTS Lab staff Non-lab staff
Mr J A Morrison Library, Danmarks Fisk (reports only) Capt R Denholm Mr J Mortensen (Faroes only) Mr R S T Ferro ) Fish Man team Mr A Souplet (Fishing Cruises only)
Mr C Hall ) progs only Dr S Ehrich (Entering German Waters) (reports only) Dr R M Stagg
Dr C Moffat W J McCurdy, Belfast
Mr M R Heath Technical Director, SFIA (J E Tumilty)
Mr A Macdonald Dr L Rickards
Mr R D Galbraith Dr I Joint
D Lichtman (+ additional copy of track chart Director – Havfor Inst, Norway
of reports only) Dr S Ehrich
Mrs E Morrison Monsieur le Chef du dépt, Nantes CO/OIC of Vessel (Scotia) (to be faxed) Mr J C Brabant
Library (2) Mrs van Duyvenvoorde
File Dr J G Gordon
Dr J Molloy
R de Clerck Mr B Stewart
Capt J Cannan (Scotia and Clupea only) Controller Coastal Ops - A Stewart Dr P Grieg-Smith
Mr H C Boyar Dr R J A Atkinson Mr H i Jákupsstovu
Mr C Bullimore (To be faxed: 01923 846392)
Laboratory Personnel on Vessel Fishery Officers at K Coull
S Greenstreet M Robertson L Robinson T Blasdale H Fraser
M Mathewson J Mills
M Gault I Penny L Smith R Milne
Aberdeen
