Duration of the cruise:  24. September to 3. November 2024

Cruise area:  East- und Southwestgreenland

Purpose of the cruise:  Stock surveys of Greenland demersal fish stocks and oceanographic and climatological studies

The research program of the 483rd voyage of the FRVWalther Herwig III includes fisheries biology studies of Greenlandic cod and redfish stocks as well as other ecologically important demersal species as a basis for the development of improved management and exploitation strategies. In addition to the standard fishing hauls, the aim of the biological-oceanographic investigations is zooplankton sampling off East Greenland and oceanographic measurements at selected fishing positions and transects or international standard positions. For the first time, the work will focus on East and Southwest Greenland in order to better understand ecosystem-relevant processes in these areas. In contrast to previous years, strata 1 and 2 off West Greenland are no longer sampled, as this study area could only rarely be reached in recent years due to changes in climatic conditions and the resulting weather patterns.