At Greater Haig Fras MCZ we
have been busy collecting multibeam data from within the site, to the
north and west of the central Haig Fras rock complex. We’ve targeted the survey
area with the multibeam echosounder to hopefully capture the variety of
habitats within the site on a larger scale than we can with grabbing or video
techniques.
A multibeam echosounder is an acoustic tool that sends sound waves to
the seabed and listens for how long that sound takes to return and how loud it
is when it gets back. Multibeam tells us several things about the seabed; while
perhaps most often used to chart the ocean depths to a very high degree of
accuracy, it can also tell us about how rough and hard the seabed is. Check
out this animation by The
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
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Processing the multibeam data on board the Endeavour © JNCC/Cefas
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Having specialist technicians and equipment
onboard means we can process the multibeam data we’re collecting in almost real
time, allowing the scientists onboard to interpret it and use it to inform
where we should place additional grab and video stations to make best use of
the time we have at sea. Don’t forget you can track the vessel throughout the
survey at http://jnccoffshoresurvey.blogspot.com/p/cefas-endeavour-location.html.
Survey Fun Fact:
The Haig Fras rock complex is the only substantial rocky reef in the offshore
Celtic Sea. It is composed predominantly of granite and this bedrock supports
many species including anemones, brittle stars, and Devonshire cup corals to
name a few.
Keep up to date with all the latest from survey by following this blog,
and using #CEND0719 on our Twitter
and Facebook
profiles!
