Marine Directorate Communications
Written 357 posts
Scottish Fishermen Land 1000th Tonne of Marine Litter
18th January 2017
Our very own Professor Colin Moffat was asked recently to attend and give a short presentation at an event to celebrate the success of the KIMO UK’s Fishing for Litter scheme. Supported by partners, including the Scottish Government, the Fishing for Litter scheme encourages skippers of fishing vessels to land litter they catch in their…
MRV Scotia Survey 0117S Programme
4th January 2017
Duration: 4-19 January 2017 Fishing gear: BT 137 with Ground gear E; Sediment Sampling: Day grab and sieves; Litter sampling: Catamaran neuston trawl; Plankton net; Water sampling: Aquatracka fluorometer, Seabird 19 and sled. Objectives: To undertake water, sediment and biological sampling for the Clean Seas Environmental Monitoring Programme (CSEMP). To collect water samples for nutrient…
MRV Alba na Mara: Survey 0117A Programme
2nd January 2017
Duration: 4-20 January 2017 Gear: Large TV drop frame; TV sledge; 1 x 600m umbilical towing cable; 1 x armoured cable; Video cameras and associated equipment (plus backup); Four lasers and 60cm bracket for the drop frame; 1 x BT201 prawn trawl (plus minimal spares); Day grab and table; Prawn sorting table; and Go Pro…
A Very Fortunate Find
23rd December 2016
Recently, as part of the East Coast Marine Mammal Acoustic Study (ECOMMAS), some colleagues were out on the research vessel Alba na Mara to retrieve acoustic detectors; devices deployed and retrieved which help to build a picture of dolphin and porpoise population distribution. During the trip they searched for one particular mooring, approximately 5 km…
MRV Scotia Survey 1816S Programme
14th December 2016
Duration: 10-20 December 2016 Gear: Sea-Bird CTD/Carousel, sledge with OPC and CTD, ADCP mooring equipment, water filtering equipment Objectives: Test the CTD and sledge/OPC in the Buchan Deep off Peterhead. Perform routine hydrographic sampling at stations along the long term monitoring JONSIS section in the northern North Sea. Perform routine hydrographic sampling at stations along…
MRV Alba na Mara: Survey 2316A Programme
12th December 2016
Duration: 8-21 December 2016 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 – i.e. DST). Objectives: To determine the abundance, length and age of sandeels in the sediment from regions east of the Firth of Forth and…
MRV Alba na Mara: Survey 2216A Programme
8th December 2016
Duration: 2-6 December 2016 Sampling Gear: BT 158 with 50 mm cod-end; 2 m beam trawl with 50 mm cod-end; Day grab and table; and Catamaran and manta neuston net. Objectives: To undertake flatfish sampling in St Andrews Bay, inner Firth of Forth, outer Firth of Forth and the Forth estuary in support of the…
MRV Alba na Mara Survey 2116A programme
28th November 2016
Duration: 17-30 November 2016 Gear: Surface and subsurface PAM moorings Objectives: To retrieve a series of moorings comprising dhan buoys (seven surface marked moorings) or acoustic release systems (23 subsurface moorings) and the acoustic recording devices attached to them (30 C-POD and 10 SM2M/SM3M) as part of the east coast marine mammal monitoring programme (see…
MRV Scotia Survey 1716S programme
25th November 2016
Duration: 17 November – 7 December 2016 Fishing Gear: GOV Trawl (BT137) and ground gear D (hoppers). Objectives: To participate in the ICES co-ordinated western division demersal trawling survey. To obtain temperature and salinity data profiles at each trawling position. To collect additional biological data in connection with the EU data collection framework (DCF). Procedures:…
MRV Scotia Survey 1616S Programme
22nd November 2016
Duration: 5-14 November 2016 Fishing Gear: PT160 pelagic trawl; BT237 new Jackson high standing demersal trawl fully rigged with 350mm rockhopper ground gear and 200mm floats; 1 Set Thyboron ‘flapper’ trawl doors; and 1 set GOV polyvalent trawl doors. Objectives: To establish a fishing protocol to fish the PT160 trawl close to the surface and…