Duration of the cruise:  4 to 17 December 2024

Cruise area:  North Sea (German Bight) and Skagerrak

Purpose of the cruise:  Test and training voyage for fishing and survey technology

The main tasks of the voyage are training on and testing new or revised technical equipment for fishing and survey technology. During the regular research voyages, there is not enough time to test, check and improve new and modified technical equipment on the research vessels. For complex equipment such as underwater vehicles, there is also still a need for regular training for the operating personnel in order to enable safe and effective use during regular research cruises.
The focus of this trip is on testing and operational training for the extensively revised ROTV (Remotely Operated Towed Vehicle) Triaxus and the measurement technology installed on it. The aim is to determine the practicable maximum undulation range (vertical deflection) and the optimum towing speed for this application. In addition, a deployment over long distances (overnight deployment) is to be tested as an example.
Furthermore, underwater recordings of the IKMT (Isaacs-Kidd Midwater Trawl Net, also known as the Hamburg Plankton Net) with a revised multi-net are to be recorded in order to validate the settings of the lines and the correct position in the underwater area.