Marine

Alba na Mara Survey 0716A Programme

May 6, 2016 by Marine Directorate Communications No Comments | Category Compliance, Marine Directorate general, Marine Directorate Science, Research Vessel Surveys

Duration: 28 April – 07 May 2016

Gear: Surface and subsurface PAM moorings

Objectives:
To deploy a series of moorings comprising dhan buoys (eight surface marked moorings) and acoustic release systems (22subsurface moorings) with attached acoustic recording devices (30 C-POD and 10 SM2M) as part of the east coast marine mammal monitoring programme (see Table 1 and Figure 1).

Procedure:
Loading of all equipment will be carried out on 25 April, Alba na Mara will sail from Fraserburgh on the morning of 28 April and make for the first mooring position.  The ultimate order in which the moorings are deployed will be dictated by the current weather forecast and the likely shelter that can be provided by the east coast.  Accurate position records will be kept detailing where the moorings are eventually placed as this may differ from the planned position.  If all the moorings have been deployed before the scheduled end of the trip Alba na Mara will head to the Moray Firth to allow scientific staff to test a range of acoustic salmon tags using a small hydrophone system.

Figure 1: Positions of all 30 moorings to be deployed during cruise 0716a.

Table 1 0716A Programme
ID, name and geographic position of all 30 moorings to be deployed in April 2016.  Potential surface positions highlighted in grey.

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