Fish Farm Visit

Thursday 5th November 2015

The Jellyfarm project is studying the interactions between aquaculture and jellyfalls on organic matter cycling in fjord sediments.  Therefore, on the way to deploy the second sediment trap in the Masfjorden we stopped to visit a local fish farm.

An underwater camera system is used to monitor the salmon in the fish farm.

Masfjorden Sediment Trap Deployment

Friday 6th November 2015

Once deployed the Masfjorden sediment trap will remain in position collecting data on organic flux until August 2016.  Sample bottles will be collected approximately every 2 weeks.  

 Deploying the sediment trap from the RV Solvik. 

The final float about to be deployed

Lurefjorden

Wednesday 4th November 2015

Lurefjorden has been found to contain the largest population of Periphylla periphylla jellyfish of any fjord.

Today the Lurefjorden sediment trap was redeployed.

 Sediment trap being lowered to attach to the weights which will take it to the seafloor.

Carefully lowering the sediment trap into the Lurefjorden.

On our way for an evening at sunny Siem. 

Retrieval of the Masfjorden Sediment Trap

Tuesday 5th November 2015 

The Masfjorden sediment trap was initially located using the echo-sounder and a ROV from ROVas was deployed to help retrieve the sediment trap.

The sediment trap floats were visible in the echo-sounder.

ROVas vessel equip with ROV 

Leon made a hook and line for the ROV to secure the sediment trap.  The ROV would attached it using the manipulator arm.  Once attached the sediment trap could be lifted using Solvik´s winch.

Discussing the retrieval plan 

The sediment trap was successfully retrieved and was ready to be serviced for redeployment. 

Andrew waiting for the Masfjorden sediment trap to be lifted by the winch.  

JellyFarm Cruise 2nd - 6th November 2015

The second JellyFarm cruise of 2015 set out to retrieve, service and redeploy sediment traps in the Lurefjorden and Masfjorden.  Both traps had been unfortunately caught by a trawling vessel.  Making these redeployments will ensure that minimal data is lost from the sediment trap study. 

The JellyFarm sediment trap study aims to quantify jellyfish organic material falling to the deep fjord seafloor ecosystem.  Organic material derived from jellyfish have an enriched  isotopic δ13C signature compared to phytoplankton and zooplankton.  To study the affects of organic material entering the benthic environment from jelly fall events, sediment traps were deployed in the Marsfjorden, a fish dominated fjord ecosystem (The name Marsfjorden means “the one full of food ie.  fish”) and the Lurefjorden, a fjord heavily populated by the jellyfish Periphylla periphylla. 

The team consisted of Leon Pedersen, Dr Andrew Sweetman (International Research Institute Stavanger (IRIS)) and Dr Catherine Boccadoro (IRIS).  Postdoctoral researcher Dr Kathy Dunlop (IRIS) joins the JellyFarm team from Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, California, where she worked with the Pelagic Benthic Coupling Group. Kathy will work with the JellyFarm project for three years and will specifically focus on the influence of jelly falls on scavenger and fluid dynamics in the fjords.