EAF-Nansen Programme
jean hervé with a big languster_comp
Photo Courtesy of IMR
From the Second survey diary
Onboard the R/V Dr. Fridtjof Nansen we are currently performing an ecosystem survey that will help to increase our understanding about the living resources of the continental shelf, species assemblages and their linkages with the environment. To do so, we are conducting different studies during these 14 days of survey including acoustic assessment of pelagic fisheries, stratified assessment of demersal fisheries, sea-bottom impact of bottom trawling, oceanographic measures, plankton biomass estimation and sampling, marine mammals, birds and turtle’s distribution and the exploration of the sea-mountain and canyons off Cape Lopez. All these activities will generate a great amount of data that will need to be processed and analyzed once at land.
During the survey onboard the R/V Dr. Fridtjof Nansen, we will assess fisheries resources and we will collect benthos samples, both inside and outside the Marine Park with the intention of monitoring changes in the ecosystem between a recently closed fishing zone, previously exploited, and a contiguous currently trawled area. Results from this and following surveys will help us to understand how ecosystems recover after the closure of fishing activities and what effects can bring the creation of new Marine Parks on the marine biodiversity of West Africa. Preliminary results from trawl catches suggest bigger size and higher species diversity inside the park, than outside. One distinguished difference is that inside the park we got several big royal spiny lobsters (Panulirus regius).
So far we have conducted almost 50 bottom trawl stations. In many trawl hauls 20 to 40 different species have been identified. Most of these have been below 30 cm, but occasionally some big individuals have been caught. One African brown snapper (Lutjanus dentatus) was above 1 m long and weighted almost 20 kg. A Gorean snapper (Lutjanus goreensis) was close to 1 m long and 12 kg. One day we got a big Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) during the trawl, it seemed to be in good shape and after measuring we could release it again to the sea.
Raul Vilela and Kathrine Michalsen
(cruise leaders)
jean hervé with a big languster_comp
Photo Courtesy of IMR
From the Second survey diary
Onboard the R/V Dr. Fridtjof Nansen we are currently performing an ecosystem survey that will help to increase our understanding about the living resources of the continental shelf, species assemblages and their linkages with the environment. To do so, we are conducting different studies during these 14 days of survey including acoustic assessment of pelagic fisheries, stratified assessment of demersal fisheries, sea-bottom impact of bottom trawling, oceanographic measures, plankton biomass estimation and sampling, marine mammals, birds and turtle’s distribution and the exploration of the sea-mountain and canyons off Cape Lopez. All these activities will generate a great amount of data that will need to be processed and analyzed once at land.
During the survey onboard the R/V Dr. Fridtjof Nansen, we will assess fisheries resources and we will collect benthos samples, both inside and outside the Marine Park with the intention of monitoring changes in the ecosystem between a recently closed fishing zone, previously exploited, and a contiguous currently trawled area. Results from this and following surveys will help us to understand how ecosystems recover after the closure of fishing activities and what effects can bring the creation of new Marine Parks on the marine biodiversity of West Africa. Preliminary results from trawl catches suggest bigger size and higher species diversity inside the park, than outside. One distinguished difference is that inside the park we got several big royal spiny lobsters (Panulirus regius).
So far we have conducted almost 50 bottom trawl stations. In many trawl hauls 20 to 40 different species have been identified. Most of these have been below 30 cm, but occasionally some big individuals have been caught. One African brown snapper (Lutjanus dentatus) was above 1 m long and weighted almost 20 kg. A Gorean snapper (Lutjanus goreensis) was close to 1 m long and 12 kg. One day we got a big Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) during the trawl, it seemed to be in good shape and after measuring we could release it again to the sea.
Raul Vilela and Kathrine Michalsen
(cruise leaders)