The past few days have flown by as we have finished off the
last bits of camera work and Hamon grabbing in both MPAs. We have spent the
last day or so of the survey as we began, by collecting multibeam bathymetry
and backscatter data. This time, our target was an area of suspected rock in
Offshore Brighton Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ) which we sampled with our camera system earlier this week. By using
the multibeam and imagery data together we hope to update the map of the extent
of the rock in this part of the MCZ. Once we have completed this work, we will
make our way back to the Endeavour’s home port of Lowestoft (Suffolk), where this
survey will end.
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| Camera stations and the mulitbeam survey area at the rock habitats of Offshore Brighton MCZ © JNCC/Cefas |
All in all, we have collected 76 Hamon grab samples, completed over 200 camera transects and over 2500km of multibeam bathymetry and backscatter.
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| View from the bridge back in Lowestoft. Welcome home Joey and James! © JNCC |
We have enjoyed very good weather and sea conditions on this
survey, particularly given the time of year, and I am glad to report that we
have managed to complete all of our planned objectives. Even with the superb
weather, this would not have been possible without the hard work of the crew
and our Cefas colleagues aboard, so I will close this account with a huge thank
you to everyone involved!
