Bundesforschungsanstalt für Fischerei
Institut für Seefischerei
Palmaille 9, 22767 Hamburg D Tel. 38905 179 D Fax 38905 263 D 15.9.2005 D Az.: Dr.Ehr./2252
WH277bre.doc
„WALTHER HERWIG III"
Cruise 277
REPORT 19.07. – 17.08.2005
Personnel
Name Institution
1. Dr. Siegfried Ehrich ISH-BFA 2. Herr Ingo Wilhelms ISH-BFA 3. Dr. Anne Sell ISH-BFA 4. Frau Annett Seehagen ISH-BFA 5. Herr Sascha Bednarz ISH-BFA 6. Herr Hermann Neumann ISH-BFA 7. Herr Paul Debes ISH-BFA 8. Herr Michael Weinert ISH-BFA
9. Dr. Ingrid Kröncke Forsch. Senckenberg 10. Herr Sebastian Rakers Forsch. Senckenberg 11. Herr Stefan Weiel FTZ Westküste
12. Frau Nele Markones FTZ Westküste (1. Abschnitt) 13. Frau Nicole Sonntag FTZ Westküste (2. Abschnitt)
Objectives
1. To participate in the ICES co-ordinated 'International Bottom Trawl Survey' in the North Sea, 3. quarter 2. Biological monitoring of the fish fauna in 6 small areas (boxes)
3. Distribution of temperature, salinity and nutrients in the area of investigation 4. Monitoring of the benthic epi- and infauna in the boxes and in the German Bight 5. Monitoring of seabirds
Narrative (Fig. 1)
W. Herwig III left Bremerhaven the 17th of July 2005. The scientific programme started next morning at ICES-rectangle 38F7. During this day another 3 rectangles were monitored by taking samples of fish, water (nutrients, temperature, salinity) and benthic epi-fauna (Tab. 1). The vessel than worked in the boxes C, L and M (3 days each). After a two days break in Bergen (Norway) the standard programme was continued at boxes D and B. After two days fishing in 8 ICES-rectangles in the German Bight, 4 days in Box A and
another 11 rectangles the scientific program ended the 16th of August. One day later the 'W. Herwig III' docked at Bremerhaven.
Tab. 1: Activities (stations) during the cruise
area GOV-hauls CTD nutrients 2m-beamtrawl v.Veen grab
Box A 26 20 4 12 11
Box B 21 15 3 9 9
Box C 16 12 4 8 8
Box D 21 15 3 9 9
Box L 21 15 3 9 9
Box M 21 15 3 9 9
ICES-rectangles 26 26 26 23 23
total 152 118 46 79 78
Results (Tab. 1 and Figs. 2-7)
A total of 152 half an hour and valid hauls were made using the GOV trawl equipped with the standard ground gear, of which 126 hauls were carried out in the boxes to monitor changes in species compositions and 26 hauls in different ICES-rectangles as part of the IBTS Q3 survey, mainly within the German Bight.
At 118 stations salinity, temperature and at 46 stations nutrients were measured. Epibenthos was sampled by a 2m beam-trawl at 79 stations and 78 grab samples were taken to investigate the sediment.
The preliminary number at age data for the recruiting year-classes of the commercial important species and the catch data were submitted to the co-ordinator of the IBTS-Q3 survey and ICES resp. to make these data available to the ICES assessment working groups within due time.
Fig. 1 shows the area of investigation. The mean species compositions in the 6 boxes and the variability within the time periods are shown in Figs.2 to 7.
Dr. S. Ehrich
areas:
5 2E 5E 6E 7E 8E 9F 0F 1 F 2F 3 F 4F 5 F 6F 7 F 8F 9 G 06 2 °
4 4
5 9
3 6 4 8
4 0
3 2 5 0
4 2 5 7
3 4 5 3
4 6
3 8 5 5
3 0 2 9
5 1
5 0 ° 5 1
4 3
5 8
3 5 4 7
3 9
3 1 4 9
6 1
4 1 5 6
3 3 5 2
4 5
6 0
3 7 5 4
5 ° W4 3 2 1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 ° E
D
L M
B
C
A
Fig. 1: „Walther Herwig III“. Cruise no. 277. Area of investigation and boxes
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000
1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 year
mean catch rate (kg/30min)
others sprat scad mackerel herring whiting cod plaice dab Box A
Fig. 2: Box A: German Bight: Main species composition (kg/30min) from 1987 to 2005 (summer)
0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000
1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 year
mean catch rate (kg/30min)
others sprat mackerel herring whiting haddock cod dab
Box B
Fig. 3: Box B. English coast. Main species composition (kg/30min)
from 1987 to 2005 (summer)
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450
1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 year
mean catch rate (kg/30min)
others herring whiting haddock cod dab Box C
Fig. 4: Box C. Danish coast. Main species composition (kg/30min) from 1986 to 2005 (summer)
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500
1986 1987
1988 1989
1990 1991
1992 1993
1994 1995
1996 1997
1998 1999
2001 2002
2003 2004
2005
year
mean catch rate (kg/30min)
others mackerel herring Norway pout whiting haddock cod
lemon sole dab
Box D
Fig. 5: Box D. Scottish coast. Main species composition (kg/30min)
from 1986 to 2005 (summer)
0.0 200.0 400.0 600.0 800.0 1000.0 1200.0 1400.0 1600.0 1800.0 2000.0
1999 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
year
mean catch rate (kg/30min)
others herring mackerel saithe whiting haddock Box L
Fig. 6: Box L. Norwegian coast. Main species composition (kg/30min) in 1999 and from 2001 to 2005 (summer)
0.00 200.00 400.00 600.00 800.00 1000.00 1200.00 1400.00
1999 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005
year
mean catch rate (kg/30min)
others Norway pout herring mackerel saithe whiting haddock Box M
