Marine

  • Scotia resumes survey programme

    30th June 2020 by

    As with many other aspects of our lives at this time, our marine research vessel (MRV) survey programme of 2020 was significantly affected by the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic and ultimately stopped with the lockdown restrictions imposed in March.

    However, in mid-June the MRV Scotia programme was permitted to resume with survey 0820S – the annual North Sea and West coast Nephrops underwater television survey (UWTV).

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  • Sandeel Surveys in the East Coast

    6th December 2019 by

    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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  • Collecting Cameras and Grabbing Samples

    28th October 2019 by

    MRV Scotia Survey: 1619S Duration: 26 October – 1 November 2019 Equipment: Day grab; sieve table; time lapse cameras and associated moorings, acoustic device mooring with broadband receiver. Objectives: Recover the time lapse cameras used to assess the macro benthic ecology of drill cuttings around the Murchison oil field. Deploy an acoustic mooring at approximately…

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  • Nephrops on the East Coast – An Update

    20th August 2019 by

    MRV Alba na Mara Programme Survey 1319A Duration: 8-24 August 2019 The annual Alba na Mara East Coast Nephrops Underwater TV survey returns once again.  A very busy week has been spent in the Firth of Forth working under challenging conditions at times, but despite 40kt easterly gales plenty of headway was made with the planned…

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  • Nephrops on the East Coast

    9th August 2019 by

    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….

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  • Smolt Trawl Survey with the Sunbeam

    16th May 2019 by

    MFV Sunbeam FR487 Survey: 1419H Programme Duration: 10-19 May 2019 Scientific Gear: Smolt trawl, Thyboron type 15vf pelagic trawl doors (6m2), Dyneema sweep rig and Fenders (300mm diameter with 215kg buoyancy) attached four per side of the trawl. Video frame/box incorporating pit tag detector. Self-contained underwater camera systems. New Åkrehamn Trålbøteri fish-lift aquarium system incorporating…

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  • Herring or Sprat; and the Notorious Case of Burke and Hare

    24th September 2018 by

    One of the earliest pieces of fisheries research carried out in Scotland concerned the Firth of Forth herring fishery, and whether herring and sprat were two separate species. An artefact from this research is on display in the library foyer at the Marine Laboratory, in Aberdeen. The Board of British White Herring Fisheries was established…

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  • A Tall Ship Amongst the Nephrops

    14th September 2018 by

    Survey: 1318A MRV Alba na Mara Duration: 25th August – 10th September 2018 Another busy week of TV deployments aboard Alba na Mara for the Nephrops Underwater TV (UWTV) Survey. This weeks efforts were concentrated in the Firth of Forth where we managed a total of 56 TV stations and two fishing operations. Poor visibility…

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  • Reality TV at its Best

    6th September 2018 by

    Survey: 1318A MRV Alba na Mara Duration: 25th August – 10th September 2018 MRV Alba na Mara left Fraserburgh on Sunday the 26th of August, a day later than planned due to poor weather, to begin survey 1318A – the ‘Annual Nephrops Underwater TV (UWTV) Survey’. The areas to be covered are Moray Firth and…

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  • How Mature are Nephrops?

    4th September 2018 by

    Survey : 1318A MRV Alba na Mara Duration: 25 August – 10 September 2018 Objectives: Obtain estimates of the distribution and abundance of Nephrops burrows in the Firth of Forth and the Moray Firth using underwater cameras. Use the TV footage to record the occurrence of other benthic fauna and evidence of commercial trawling activity….

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