Marine

Let’s Go Fly a Kite

September 17, 2018 by Marine Directorate Communications No Comments | Category Fisheries, Marine Directorate general, Marine Directorate Science, Marine Directorate Surveys, Research Vessel Surveys

Survey: 1418A MRV Alba na Mara Programme

This survey will be executed in two parts during the window of 12th September to the 25th September 2018.

Part One Objectives:

• Live fish capture for tank based trials in our Fish Behaviour Unit (FBU); and
• Trialing new Vonin ‘Flyer’ headline kites.

Part Two Objectives:

• Recover (VR2Tx) salmon detectors between Ythan Estuary and Findon Ness by Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV); and
• Search for two missing moorings as time and tide allow. Last recorded positions for these are: 57° 07.751’ N : -1° 54.141W and 57° 03.271’: -2° 01.912’W.

Procedure for Part One:

Equipment will be loaded onto MRV Alba na Mara at Fraserburgh; where the trawl and wire rig will be rigged onto the net drum. Scientific staff will also join the Alba na Mara and rig the live fish codend on to Bottom Trawl type 158 (BT158). Once rigging is complete the vessel will sail to suitable grounds off Aberdeen and complete shakedown tows with the new BT158 to ensure the trawl fishes correctly.

Short hauls will then be made to trial the new Vonin headline kites and to assess available fish species on the grounds. For the remainder of the survey short five to ten minute hauls will be made to obtain live, healthy, fish for tank based behaviour trials. Fish will regularly be collected from the harbor, by aquarium staff, and transported back to the FBU.

Procedure for Part Two:

For the second part of the survey the vessel will depart Aberdeen and, weather dependant, proceed to recover the salmon detector moorings in the Aberdeen Bay array. The vessel will anchor at each location to allow ROV operations to be undertaken for locating and recovering the missing moorings.

Equipment:

• BT 158 – New design with guard meshes.
• Trawl doors, sweeps, bridles, backstrops and pennants.
• Standard ground gear incorporating rockhopper centre section.
• Live fish codends.
• 2 x Vonin plastic ‘Flyers’ (net kites used to generate lift).
• Moray Marine ROV.

Further Information:

• Previous Alba na Mara Blog Posts
• Previous Fish Behaviour Blog Posts
• Alba na Mara Topic Sheet

Tags: Aberdeen Bay, Alba na Mara, fish behaviour, fish species, fisheries, fishing gear, Monitoring, moorings, research, ROV, Salmon, sampling, science, Survey

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