Marine

  • Marine Scotland Science Discover New Coral Species on Rockall

    9th January 2020 by

      Scientists from Marine Scotland Science (MSS) have discovered a new species of coral on Rockall Bank in the North East Atlantic. The discovery is of an animal known as a sea pen, which as it lacks a hard outer skeleton is often described as a soft coral. The species is described fully in a...

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  • Clean Seas Environmental Monitoring Programme

    8th January 2020 by

    MRV Scotia Programme Survey: 0120S Duration: 6-21 January 2020 Fishing gear: BT 137 with Ground gear E; Sediment Sampling: Day grab Litter sampling: Catamaran and neuston trawl Water sampling: Aquatracka fluorometer, Seabird 25 and modified acoustic sledge Objectives: To undertake water, sediment and biological sampling for the Clean Seas Environmental Monitoring Programme (CSEMP). Monitor and record...

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  • Deep Sea Communities Explored at Rosemary Bank

    19th December 2019 by

    A team of scientists, with the lead author from Marine Scotland Science (MSS), have had a paper published in the Deep Sea Research Part I journal describing the deep sea communities of the Rosemary Bank Seamount Marine Protected Area (MPA) in the North East Atlantic. The paper provides essential baseline information on the composition of...

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  • Scotia 1919S – Latest News

    18th December 2019 by

    Scotia in Scapa Flow by Michael Stewart

    Six scientists and the Scotia crew are missing out on all the Christmas preparations because they are working hard on MRV Scotia in the Northern North Sea and the Faroe-Shetland-Channel for 11 days. This work contributes to our long-term monitoring to evaluate changes in hydrography and circulation in Scottish waters and the North Atlantic. So...

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  • Hydrographic Sampling at Sea

    13th December 2019 by

    MRV Scotia Survey: 1919S Programme Duration: 12-22 December 2019 Gear: Sea-Bird CTD/Carousel, water filtering equipment, mooring deployment/recovery equipment, chemistry sampling equipment.   Objectives: Test the SBE911 and CTD carousel (main CTD crane) and the SBE25 and Aquatracka (using plankton crane) in the Buchan Deep. Perform routine hydrographic sampling at stations along the long term monitoring JONSIS section...

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  • Alba na Mara Survey 2119A

    9th December 2019 by

    On 28th November Alba na Mara departed at 0700 from Leith to sail up the Forth Estuary to complete our first objective which was to fish and collect sediment samples at Tancred Bank. We sailed under all the bridges with wonderful views as we passed. We fished with the beam trawl at Tancred Bank and...

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  • Scotia gear trials survey – development of new international bottom trawl

    9th December 2019 by

    Scotia at work with waves crashing

    A team of scientists and gear technologists from Scotland, Ireland and the Netherlands are undertaking trials aboard MRV Scotia to develop a replacement demersal survey trawl for internationally coordinated (ICES) bottom trawl surveys. The new trawl is being developed to replace the existing gear (GOV trawl) which has been used for the International Bottom Trawl...

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  • Sandeel Surveys in the East Coast

    6th December 2019 by

    Alba na Mara

    MRV Alba na Mara Programme Survey: 2219A Duration: 5-18 December 2019 Equipment:  Sandeel dredge × 2 (modified 4′ scallop dredge with 6″ teeth and spare toothbars) with towing bar and camera attachment. TV camera. Minilogger (or equivalent).   Objectives: To determine the abundance, length and age of sandeels in the sediment from regions east of the...

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  • Clean Seas Environment Monitoring Programme Firth of Forth

    29th November 2019 by

    MRV Alba na Mara Programme   Survey: 2119A   Duration: 28 November – 2 December 2019   Sampling Gear: BT 158 with 50 mm cod-end 2 m beam trawl with 50 mm cod-end Day grab and table Catamaran and neuston net   Objectives: To undertake flatfish sampling in St Andrews Bay, Inner Firth of Forth and...

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  • GOV Comparison Trials in the North Sea

    29th November 2019 by

    Scotia in Scapa Flow by Michael Stewart

    MRV Scotia Programme Survey: 1819S Duration: 28 November – 9 December 2019 Fishing Gear:  BT137 GOV trawl rigged with ground gear A. BT237 (Jackson trawl) rigged with Light hopper rig (300mm and 250mm discs). Marine Institute (MI) trawl (similar to BT237) complete with rubber disc ground gear and wire rig. 2 sets GOV polyvalent trawl...

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