Marine
Looking for flatfish with the Sir John Murray
October 30, 2017 by Marine Directorate Communications No Comments | Category Fisheries, Marine Directorate Science, Research Vessel Surveys
Duration: 31 October – 8 November 2017
Sampling Gear:
- Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) – 2 m beam trawl with 50 mm cod-end
- SEPA – Demersal trawl with 50 mm cod-end
- SEPA – Day grab and table
- Marine Scotland Science (MSS) – Catamaran and neuston net
Objectives:
- To undertake flatfish and sediment sampling in the Clyde and Solway in support of the Clean Seas Environment Monitoring Programme (OSPAR and MSFD D8).
- To undertake fish sample preparation for subsequent eco-toxicological analyses.
- To undertake survey of sea-surface litter in the Firth of Clyde and Solway Firth (MSFD D10).
- To undertake fish, shellfish and sediment sampling in support of the microplastics ROAME (ST014).
Procedure:
Five surface (0-2 cm) sediment samples will be collected by Day grab for contaminant analysis from each of three water bodies in the Firth of Clyde and one in the Solway Firth (Table: 1). Flatfish (dab, plaice or flounder) will be collected for determination of disease status, contaminant concentrations and contaminant-induced biological effects from the Bowling, Holy Loch, Hunterston (contaminants only), Garroch Head, Outer Clyde, and Solway Firth fishing stations (Table: 2). The catamaran neuston net will be towed at five knots in order to survey and sample sea-surface litter from the Solway Firth, the Clyde estuary and the inner, middle and outer Firth of Clyde (Table; 3). Bycatch from the fishing trawls will be sampled adventitiously for determination of microplastics in stomach contents; sediment samples will be taken for determination of microplastics; benthic macrolitter collected during trawling will be identified and quantified.
General Arrangements:
Liquid nitrogen and other chemicals (e.g. formalin, methanol) will be carried aboard for the preservation and storage of biological materials.
Table 1: Intended sediment sampling locations.
|
Region |
Area |
Site |
Lat |
Long |
| Clyde | Inner Firth of Clyde | Off Cloch Point | 55.948 | -4.894 |
| Clyde | Inner Firth of Clyde | East of Strone Point | 55.984 | -4.881 |
| Clyde | Inner Firth of Clyde | Lunderston Bay | 55.923 | -4.911 |
| Clyde | Inner Firth of Clyde | Weymss Point | 55.897 | -4.926 |
| Clyde | Inner Firth of Clyde | E of Toward (UIFM 2) | 55.868 | -4.945 |
| Clyde | Inner Firth of Clyde | Holy Loch – FRS | 55.971 | -4.892 |
| Clyde | Largs Channel | Hunterston – FRS | 55.764 | -4.885 |
| Clyde | Largs Channel | Hunterston2 | 55.777 | -4.890 |
| Clyde | Largs Channel | Hunterston3 | 55.786 | -4.891 |
| Clyde | Largs Channel | Hunterston4 | 55.792 | -4.889 |
| Clyde | Largs Channel | Hunterston5 | 55.741 | -4.904 |
| Clyde | Middle Offshore | East of Brodick | 55.586 | -4.955 |
| Clyde | Middle Offshore | Middle Offshore South | 55.434 | -4.968 |
| Clyde | Middle Offshore | Middle Offshore | 55.506 | -4.899 |
| Clyde | Middle Offshore | 5 km SW of Lady Isle | 55.508 | -4.814 |
| Clyde | Middle Offshore | 7 km off Whiting Bay | 55.477 | -4.988 |
| Clyde | Middle Offshore | Garroch Head – FRS | 55.660 | -4.986 |
| Irish Sea | Solway | Solway Firth @ NMMP site 25 | 54.750 | -4.000 |
| Irish Sea | Solway | Solway Firth BP1 | 54.767 | -3.835 |
| Irish Sea | Solway | Solway Firth BP2 | 54.757 | -3.863 |
| Irish Sea | Solway | Solway Firth BP3 | 54.750 | -3.916 |
| Irish Sea | Solway | Solway Firth BP4 | 54.727 | -3.960 |
Table 2: Intended fishing locations and fish requirements.
| Region | Area | Site | Lat | Long | Species | Effects | Chemistry |
| Clyde | Outer estuary | Bowling | 55.925 | -4.480 | Flounder | 50 | 25 |
| Clyde | Inner Firth | Holy Loch | 55.971 | -4.892 | Dab | 50 | 25 |
| Clyde | Largs Channel | Hunterston | 55.787 | -4.884 | Plaice | – | 20 |
| Clyde | Middle Offshore | Garroch Head | 55.660 | -4.986 | Plaice | 25* | 25 |
| Clyde | Outer Offshore | Pladda | 55.420 | -5.215 | Plaice | 25* | 25 |
| Irish Sea | Solway | Balcary Point | 54.673 | -4.134 | Dab | 50 | – |
* bile, EROD and micronucleus only
Table 3: Intended catamaran neuston trawl locations. Where possible, additional sediment grabs are to be taken from the middle of the neuston net trawl tracks (priority 1 sites).
| Region | Area | Priority | Manta net tows | |
| No | Duration | |||
| Clyde | Estuary (Greenock – Erskine Bridge) | 1 | 30 mins | |
| Clyde | Inner Firth (Cloch Point – Greenock) | 1 | 30-45 mins | |
| Clyde | Gare Loch | 2 | 45 mins | |
| Clyde | Loch Long | 2 | 60 mins | |
| Clyde | Inner Firth (off Holy Loch) | 1 | 60 mins | |
| Clyde | Kyles of Bute / Loch Striven | 1 | 60 mins | |
| Clyde | Largs Channel (E of Grt Cumbrae) | 1 | 60 mins | |
| Clyde | West of Grt Cumbrae | 1 | 60 mins | |
| Clyde | Middle Offshore | 2 | 60 mins | |
| Clyde | Sound of Bute | 2 | 60 mins | |
| Clyde | Loch Fyne | 3 | 60 mins | |
| Clyde | Irvine Bay | 2 | 60 mins | |
| Clyde | Ayr Bay | 2 | 60 mins | |
| Clyde | Outer Offshore | 2 | 60 mins | |
| N Channel | North Channel | 2 | 90 mins | |
| Solway | Luce Bay | 1 | 90 mins | |
| Solway | Wigton Bay | 1 | 60 mins | |
| Solway | Balcary Point | 1 | 60 mins | |
Further Information
Tags: OSPAR, Sir John Murray
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