Marine

  • Nephrops on the East Coast

    9th August 2019 by

    MRV Alba na Mara

    MRV Alba na Mara Programme   Survey 1319A Duration: 8-24 August 2019   Objectives: To obtain estimates of the distribution and abundance of Nephrops burrows in the Firth of Forth and the Moray Firth using underwater camera. To use the TV footage to record the occurrence of other benthic fauna and evidence of commercial trawling activity....

    Read more

  • Scotia Amongst the Fjords

    5th August 2019 by

    I was one of 11 scientists on-board the MRV Scotia seeking to better understand carbon dynamics in the sediments and water column around Scotland. My personal goal was to sample sea lochs (fjords) around the northern and western coast of Scotland. Fjords are globally recognised as hotspots for the burial and storage of organic carbon...

    Read more

  • Clicking with Marine Mammals

    31st July 2019 by

    MRV Alba na Mara

    MRV Alba na Mara Survey: 1219A Duration: 25 July – 05 August 2019 Objectives: Retrieve and deploy a series of acoustic release systems (22 subsurface moorings) with attached acoustic recording devices (22 C-POD, 7 sound recorder) as part of the ECOMMAS (East Coast Marine Mammal Acoustic Study), JOMOPANS (Joint Monitoring Programme for Ambient Noise North...

    Read more

  • Blue Carbon in the Marine Ecosystem

    23rd July 2019 by

    MRV Scotia Survey: 1019S Programme Duration: 22-31 July 2019 Objectives: Sediment sampling in the Moray Firth (grabs and cores). Sediment sampling along transect from Moray Firth to Fladen Ground (grabs and cores). Sediment sampling on the Fladen Ground (grabs and cores). Sediment sampling along transect from Fladen to Pentland Firth (grabs and cores). Gravity coring...

    Read more

  • Getting to know the Herring and Sprat

    19th July 2019 by

    Scotia at work with waves crashing

    MRV Scotia Survey: 0919S Programme Duration: 27 June – 19 July 2019 Sampling Gear: Midwater trawls PT160 x 3 Demersal trawl (BT237) Scanmar trawl eye sensor SIMRAD FS70 net sonde x 2 RBR-Concerto CTD with Dissolved Oxygen probe Water sampler for collecting water samples from bottom of CTD dips GoPro cameras x 2 with underwater...

    Read more

  • Surveying in the Moray Firth Wind Farm Sites

    17th July 2019 by

    Alba na Mara

    Marine Scotland Science (MSS) colleagues and University of Aberdeen (UoA) postgraduate students set sail on the Alba na Mara to undertake a multi-disciplinary survey within the Moray Firth wind farm sites from the 8th – 12th of June 2019.  The aim of this survey was to characterise the distribution of the prey species (fish schools,...

    Read more

  • Mackerel and Horse Mackerel Egg Survey

    2nd July 2019 by

    MFV Altaire Survey 0319H Programme   Duration: 1-23 July 2019   Fishing/Sampling Gear: Gulf VII plankton sampler, vessels own pelagic trawl.   Objectives: To carry out mackerel and horse mackerel egg survey (ICES Triennial Survey) within sampling Period 7 of the 2016 MEGS survey plan along the NE Atlantic shelf and slope in the area from...

    Read more

  • Nephrops Burrowing Complexes; Part Two

    28th June 2019 by

    The Nephrops TV survey continued through the South Minch without any issues and experienced some impressive sunsets. Due to a poor weather forecast, the vessel made way for Stanton Bank a little earlier than originally planned and recovered/deployed a COMPASS mooring in the south of the region (which had an even larger squid cluster than...

    Read more

  • Scallops, Starfish and Heavy Metal

    24th June 2019 by

    Alba na Mara

    MRV Alba na Mara Survey: 1019A Programme Duration: 15 June – 04 July 2019 Fishing Gear: Scallop dredges Objectives: Carry out a survey of scallop stocks on the East Coast. Age, measure and assess shell damage on all scallops caught. Collect information on by-catch of other commercial fish and shellfish species. Identify and quantify numbers...

    Read more

  • BOWLing for Prey Species

    20th June 2019 by

    Alba na Mara

    MRV Alba na Mara Survey: 0919A Programme Duration: 8-12 June 2019 Equipment: Pelagic net PT 154; “Bongo” net plankton sampling equipment; Seabird SBE19 CTD; Water sampling mini-rosette; Sandeel dredge; Day grab and grab table; and EK 60 sounder. Location Names: Beatrice Offshore Wind farm Limited  (BOWL); Moray East Offshore Wind farm (MEOW); and Moray West...

    Read more