Duration: September 16 to October 4, 2024

Shipping area: North Sea (German Bight)

Purpose:  Demersal Young Fish and Brown Shrimp Survey (DYFS)

This trip complements the Demersal Young Fish and Brown Shrimp Survey (DYFS) along the North Sea coast, which exists since 1974 and investigates the distribution, abundance and annual population fluctuations of recruits (offspring) of commercially exploited fish and Brown Shrimp (Crangon crangon). The proportion of bycatch organisms is also quantified as a standard procedure. In addition, sediment samples will be taken with a grab sampler at selected stations during the 390th voyage, six stations in the Amrumbank area will be processed with a video sled and eDNA samples will be taken at selected stations using water samplers.

The standard DYFS program includes similar surveys with chartered fishing trawler in the nearby coastal and Wadden current area along the German coast, which are also carried out in the Netherlands and Belgium. FRV Clupea will supplement these data series with sampling in shallow water from approx. 5 m water depth and deeper off the island chain.