Acronym NA
Category
Fisheries
Title Distribution of nephrops larvae and associated oceanographic conditions Programme National Programme
Instrument (FP6)
Contact Type (FP7)
Strand (Interreg)
NA
Theme (FP7)
Activity Area (FP6)
Regional Area (Interreg)
Action (COST)
NA
Specific Programme (FP7)
NA
Funding source National Coordinator NA Coordinator email NA
Coordinator institution
NUI - National University of Ireland (Ireland)
Institutions involved
NA
Start year 2018 End year 2018 Funding (€) € 112,000 Website NA Summary The purpose of the survey is multifold and involves surveys of Nephrops norvegicus larvae on two commercially important grounds, acoustic measurements of fish shoals and their interaction with trawling gear, collection of oceanographic data including hyperspectral light measurements and deployment of an ADCP.
The proposed survey is part of a Cullen Fellowship – ‘Oceanographic modelling of Nephrops populations around Ireland’. The knowledge gained will be used to increase the accuracy of larval transport models used to predict Nephrops larval retention on grounds around Ireland. Focused larval survey work is necessary to ground-truth some of the larval transport model assumptions and will ultimately improve the reliability of model outputs.
The survey also aims to collect acoustic records of pelagic fish shoals, primarily mackerel (Scomber scombrus), to compare with variables such as water column structure, temperature, dissolved oxygen content, time of day and benthic topography. Trawling will be carried out on fish aggregations, whenever possible, to examine its effect on the fish that remain after the trawl has passed through. Fish shoal sampling will contribute towards an IRC funded project that will use models of mackerel collective behaviour to improve traditional fisheries assessments and provide a framework for using shoals as an indicator of population health.
Oceanographic data collection will feature hyperspectral light measurements to assist in the validation efforts of Irish satellites. This will support a Cullen Fellow examining space based observations of marine phytoplankton in Northeast Atlantic surface water masses and potential environmental monitoring applications. Finally, an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) will be deployed to validate Regional Ocean Modelling System (ROMs) data for the Aran Grounds.
Keywords
Fish;
Larval dispersion;
Crustacean;
Fish habitat;
Monitoring;
Shellfish;
Marine Region
29
West of Ireland (27.VIIb)
31
Southwest of Ireland-East (27.VIIj)
32
Southwest of Ireland-West (27.VIIk)
3
Marine Region Map
