As I mentioned in my earlier post, the objective of this survey is to study both closed and actively fished areas in the South East Atlantic Fisheries organization (SEAFO) Convention Area. A number of seamounts will be explored down to a maximum depth of 1000 metres.
The first seamount that will be studied is the Schmidt-Ott seamount located at about 380 nautical miles southwest of Cape Town. It will be followed by the Discovery, Wust, Vema and Valdivia seamounts.
On most sites the survey protocol we follow will include:
Moreover, we will use record concentrations of pelagic fish with acoustic systems on a number of seamounts, and specimens will be collected by mid-water trawls.
Over the next days, I’ll describe more about the equipment in use, so that you can see how we work each day here on the Nansen. But for now, let me briefly introduce you to the team of scientists participating in the survey:
Odd Aksel Bergstad is our cruise leader and senior research scientist at the Institute of Marine Research in Norway. Odd Aksel is a fish ecologist with interest in open ocean fish communities and ecosystems.
Åge Høines is a senior research scientist at the Institute of Marine Research in Norway. Åge is fish ecologist with interest in open ocean fish communities as well as fish stock assessment. Åge has also experience from several surveys with the R/V Dr. Fridtjof Nansen from southern Africa and the southwestern Indian Ocean Ridge.
Paul Clerkin is a graduate student at the Pacific Shark Research Center of Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, California. He is a shark researcher emphasizing study in deep-sea shark taxonomy and ecology.
Fran Ramil is a professor at the University of Vigo, Spain working on the benthic epifauna in African and European waters.
Marta Gil is a PhD student at the University of Vigo, Spain studying the taxonomy of hydroid corals.
Larvika Singh is a fisheries scientist at the Department of Agriculture Forestry and Fisheries in Cape Town, South Africa. She works in the demersal section.
Roberto Sarralde is a scientist working for the Spanish Institute of Oceanography in Tenerife on the off-shore bottom fisheries of the south Atlantic and Southern Ocean.
Erich Maletzky is senior fisheries biologist working for the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources, Namibia, where he focuses primarily on crustacean resources. He is also the stock co-ordinator for the deep-sea red crab resource of the SEAFO Scientific Committee.
Miguel Andre Antonio is a biologist working for the National Institute of Fisheries Research (INIP) – Ministry of Fisheries of Angola. Miguel is involved in the small pelagics Program (Sardinellas and Horse mackerels).
In future posts, I’ll introduce you to these colleagues as they share with their expertise with us. In the meantime, we have a great international team on board with years of experience – ask us your questions!
22/01/2015