Duration: 4 to 15 November 2024

Shipping area: Baltic Sea (Rügen, Rostock)

Purpose:  Rügen Herring Larval Survey & Fishing technique

Based on the long-term series of the Rügen Herring Larval Survey (RHLS), which has been monitoring the recruitment success of spring-spawning herring in the western Baltic Sea since 1977, the occurrence and spatial distribution of any herring larvae from autumn spawning stocks will be recorded in the first part of the cruise.

The aim of this autumn survey is to obtain basic data on larval distribution and abundance in the Greifswalder Bodden spawning area. A methodology and survey planning similar to the spring RHLS will be used, but extended for this survey to include the outer coasts of Rügen (and possibly Usedom).

In addition to sampling to record the ichthyoplankton, vertical plankton hauls will be carried out at five standard stations to investigate the food situation for the fish larvae. Furthermore, the occurrence of spawning herring and the stock composition will be analysed using gillnet samples.

In the second part of the trip, the echo sounder equipment will be calibrated in and off Rostock and gillnets (pearl nets) will be measured acoustically.