CV17017 Nephrops Galway Bay Porcupine Underwater TV (UWTV) Survey

Annual Nephrops Galway Bay Porcupine Underwater television (UWTV) Survey undertaken by Marine Insitute Fisheries Ecosystem Advisory Services team. This survey took place in 2017 in the North East Atlanic - in Galway Bay and the Porcupine. Nephrops is a genus of lobsters comprising a single extant species, Nephrops norvegicus (the Norway lobster or Dublin Bay prawn). Under water surveys took place at 10 stations in Galway bay and 4 on the Slyne head nephrops ground. Mean density is calculated by dividing the total number of burrow systems by the survey area observed. Conductivity, Temperature and Depth (CTD) oceanographic data was also recorded. 1.To obtain 2017 quality assured estimates of Nephrops burrow densities from a randomised isometric grid of UWTV stations at 6 nautical mile spacing over the known spatial a bathymetric distribution of the Porcupine Nephrops stock. 2. To obtain 2017 quality assured estimates of Nephrops burrow densities from a randomised isometric grid of UWTV stations at 4 nautical mile spacing on the “Aran” Nephrops ground. 3.To carry out 10 UWTV indicator stations on the Galway Bay and 4 on the Slyne Head Nephrops ground. 4.To collect ancillary information from the UWTV footage collected at each station such as the occurrence of sea-pens, other macro benthos and fish species and trawl marks on the sea bed. 5.To collect oceanographic data using a sledge mounted CTD. 6.To sample Nephrops and macro benthos using a 4 m beam trawl deployed at ~10 stations on the Aran Grounds