Outline of Marine Survey Programme by Dr Marianne Holm

Our research aims to make use both of existing historical information and new samples obtained during the cruises in order to improve understanding of the ecology and distribution of salmon at sea. First, information and material has been accumulated over many years including the results of tagging studies, information from scales on the age and growth of salmon and scale and tissue samples. All this information will be collated and utilised in the study. Second, SALSEA-Merge will make use of information derived from national microtagging programmes in the North-East Atlantic and will involve the release of an additional 50,000 microtagged smolts annually in Norway where such tagging has not previously been conducted. Third, pelagic trawls will be conducted between May to mid-August in both 2008 and 2009 using gear developed in the late 1990s by the Institute of Marine research in Bergen. These surveys will take place off the west coasts of Ireland and Scotland and in the mid-Norwegian Sea in areas where post-smolts have been captured previously. The final survey will be in the Northern Norwegian Sea in areas where there has been little previous survey work for salmon. View Survey Map...

The aim of the surveys is to obtain material for genetic stock identification work and biological analyses. All surveys will also collect environmental information including information on sea temperature, salinity, currents, food availability and predators.