Bay of Biscay field study

The "Grande Vasière" area (literally "big mud flat") in the Bay of Biscay is remarkable for its biodiversity (burrowing megafauna community) and provides essential  functions such as a nursery for hake and fishing grounds for Norway lobster fisheries.

To study the impact of Nephrops trawling on the structure and the functioning of the benthic ecosystem, BENTHIS will conduct 4 surveys in total. In 2013, the first surveys (FEBBE 1 & 2) were conducted in May and August on board the Ifremer research vessel "Gwen Drez". The  researchers have used an impressive variety of techniques to get  insight in the exact structure and functioning of the seafloor community and in habitat features at 20 different stations. There we go:

The vertical profile of physico-chemical sediment structure (granulometry, organic matter, ...) was measured with a multi-corer (see picture). The small fauna living in and on the seafloor (endo and epi-benthic macrofauna) and the small fauna (meiofauna) were sampled with a  Day-grab. Epi-benthic and macrofauna invertebrates and fishes were sampled with a 2m beam trawl and an otter trawl. The amount and composition of organic matter in the water column was sampled with a Niskin bottle. Zooplankton was sampled with a WP2 plankton net. The temperature and salinity profile of the water column was measured with a CTD.