We had a good day’s sampling
yesterday. The Scientist in Charge gave both shifts a target number
of stations to be completed in a shift to add an element of
competition into proceedings. Day shift claimed a very marginal
victory completing all their stations, while night shift completed
everything but one camera tow.
We started work on the Central Fladen
site which was predicted using UKSeaMap to have burrowed mud
sediments with an area of slightly coarser sediments to the south
east. The tall sea pen, Funiculina quadrangularis, has
previously been identified in this region and we hope to confirm its
presence here with camera tows. We began with sampling stations to
the west of the site, moving from south to north. One grab sample was
taken at each station using the Day grab. These samples will be used
to determine the sediment type and provide information on the
macrofaunal community present in the sediment.
ABs deploy a Day grab
The first grab of the survey taken by
night shift sampled sandy mud as expected. Hurray! We also found a
hagfish in the sample; a creature not likely to win a beauty contest
(although no doubt other hagfish find them attractive). They are well
known for releasing an unpleasant slime into the sample.
Hagfish
Every three stations a camera sledge
was deployed to collect video footage and stills of the seabed. This
footage will show what fauna is present on the surface, and we
expected to find evidence of various burrowing megafauna including
seapens and Norway lobsters (Nephrops norvegicus). We were
pleased to find that the video also confirmed that burrowed mud was
present. We frequently identified the sea pen Pennatula
phosphorea, which looks like a red feather, and occasionally the
seapen Virgularia mirabilis, as well as seastars and hermit
crabs.
Scientists watch the video footage
to identify seabed fauna
The grabs all showed similar macrofauna
including sea potatoes, brittlestars, amphipods and various
polychaete worms.
Macrofauna retained in a typical
grab sample
