FEBBE-4 LEG1
| Type | Oceanographic cruise |
|---|---|
| Set | This cruise is part of the set FEBBE |
| Ship | Thalia |
| Ship owner | Ifremer |
| Dates | 03/10/2014 - 15/10/2014 |
| Chief scientist(s) | LAFFARGUE Pascal  |
ÉCOLOGIE ET MODÈLES POUR L'HALIEUTIQUE Centre Ifremer de Nantes Rue de l'Ile d'Yeu BP 2105 44311 Nantes Cedex 3 +33 (0)2 40 37 41 67 |
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| DOI | 10.17600/14009400 |
| Objective | The FEBBE-4 cruise (in 2 legs) is the equivalent of the FEBBE-3 cruise, both of them following on from the FEBBE-1 & 2 cruises, with the main objective of collecting data on the effects of bottom trawls on the habitat and structure of benthic communities. FEBBE-4 is part of the European BENTHIS project aiming to assess the impacts of bottom trawling on various European marine ecosystems and to develop alternatives to the most harmful practices. The major physical impact of fishing gear involves the alteration of the sea floor and re-suspension of sediments. FEBBE-1 & 2 (2013) provided an initial description of the sediments and fauna encountered and their modifications depending on different levels of fishing effort. In 2014, FEBBE-4's objectives are to quantify the direct impact of 2 types of fishing gear on the sea bed (validating numerical models and quantifying the thicknesses of reworked sediments), assess contributions of different parts of trawls and describe the behaviour of re-suspended sediments. The FEBBE-3 cruise aimed to analyze the impacts of the "conventional" gear used in Nephrops prawn fisheries. FEBBE-4 focuses on analyzing the effects due to an alternative "Jumper" type gear. Detailed examination of sediment morphology using imagery at different periods of the year in a targeted area will make it possible to evaluate the persistence of physical impacts observed on the bottom. A biological strand will complement these observations, with the main aim of assessing induced mortality of benthic species and their distribution on the sea bed after a trawl has passed. |
