MRV Scotia 15-12S Cruise Report: Survey of Wyville Thomson Ridge cSAC-SCI and Faroe-Shetland Sponge Belt Proposed NCMPA

JNCC and Marine Scotland Science undertook an offshore seabed survey of Wyville Thomson Ridge candidate Special Area of Conservation /Site of Community Importance and Faroe-Shetland Sponge Belt proposed Nature Conservation Marine Protected Area , on the MRV Scotia from 25 October 2012 to 8 November 2012.
The main aim of the survey was to gather evidence to facilitate fisheries management discussions at Wyville Thomson Ridge SCI and to assist in the development of methods for future Marine Protected Sites monitoring. A secondary aim of the survey was to improve our understanding of the presence and extent of deep-sea sponge aggregations within the proposed Faroe-Shetland Sponge Belt NCMPA.
Sixty-one drop-down video camera transects, 17 side-scan sonar lines, five mini-Hamon grabs, one rock dredge and 105km2 of multibeam echosounder (MBES) lines were successfully completed.
Please note that observations made in the Cruise Report represent preliminary field observations. These observations have not been subject to Quality Assurance procedures. This disclaimer should be included when referencing the Cruise Report.