Marine

MRV Alba na Mara: Survey 2216A Programme

December 8, 2016 by Marine Directorate Communications No Comments | Category Fisheries, Marine Directorate general, Marine Directorate Science, Marine Directorate Surveys, Marine Litter, Research Vessel Surveys

Duration: 2-6 December 2016

Sampling Gear:

• BT 158 with 50 mm cod-end;
• 2 m beam trawl with 50 mm cod-end;
• Day grab and table; and
• Catamaran and manta neuston net.

Objectives:

1. To undertake flatfish sampling in St Andrews Bay, inner Firth of Forth, outer Firth of Forth and the Forth estuary in support of the Clean Seas Environment Monitoring Programme (OSPAR and MSFD).
2. To undertake sediment sampling in the Outer Firth of Forth and the Forth estuary in support of the Clean Seas Environment Monitoring Programme (OSPAR and MSFD).
3. To undertake sample preparation for subsequent ecotoxicological analyses.
4. To undertake survey of sea-surface litter in surface waters of the Scottish east coast.
5. Adventitious sampling of fish and shellfish for microplastics.
6. At two sites to collect samples of fish and epibenthic fauna in support of PhD project on trophic transfer of contaminants.
   

Procedure:

Fishing and scientific gear will be loaded in Leith at the end of the previous survey, prior to Alba na Mara sailing on 02 December. Flounder will be sampled in St Andrews Bay and in the Forth estuary (Tancred bank), dab will be sampled in the inner and outer Firth of Forth; five sediment stations will be sampled in both the outer Firth of Forth and the Forth estuary. The neuston manta trawl will be deployed in the Forth estuary, the Firth of Forth, and off the east coasts of Fife and East Lothian. This net is to be towed at 5 knots, or less, for 30-90 minutes in order to collect and sample microplastics floating on the sea surface. An additional sediment sample to be collected by Day grab from  the course of each catamaran tow for subsequent microplastics determinations. Epibenthos and samples of a variety of fish species will be adventitiously sampled from the trawls in the Forth estuary and the Firth of Forth and frozen for work-up in the laboratory as part of a PhD investigating trophic transfer of contaminants.

Tables 1, 2 and 3 list the sediment, fishing and sea surface litter survey sites, respectively.

On completion of this survey, passage will be made to Leith from where all scientific gear and samples will be transferred to MSS (Aberdeen).

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Table 1: Sediment sampling locations.

Table 2: Proposed fishing locations and fish requirements.

Table 3: Proposed manta net (sea surface litter) sampling locations.

Tags: Alba na Mara, contaminants, Firth of Forth, microplastics, sampling, shellfish, St Andrews bay

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