Cruise Report: Irish Anglerfish and Megrim Survey 2025

The 2025 Irish Anglerfish and Megrim Survey (IAMS) took place on-board the Research Vessel Celtic Explorer from 3rd to 27th February in ICES (International Council Exploration of the Sea) Divisions 7.b-c and 7.j-k, and 12th to 17th April in ICES Division 6.a. The main objective of the survey was to obtain biomass and abundance indices for anglerfish (Lophius piscatorius and Lophius budegassa) and megrim (Lepidorhombus whiffiagonis and Lepidorhombus boscii) in ICES Division 6.a (south of 58°N) and Subarea 7 (west of 8°W). Secondary objectives were to collect data on the distribution, relative abundance and biology of other commercially exploited species. For the seventh year, additional sampling took place in deep water (up to 1,500m) in order to monitor the recovery of exploited deep-water species following the decline of the deep-water fisheries in Irish waters since early 2000s (Kelly and Gerritsen, 2022). This work was funded under Marine Biodiversity Schemes of the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF) from 2019 to 2021 and European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) since 2022. IAMS is coordinated as part of ICES International Bottom Trawl Survey Working Group (IBTSWG) based on protocols developed by Marine Science Scotland (MSS) for the Scottish Anglerfish and Megrim Survey (SIAMISS).

URI

http://hdl.handle.net/10793/2051

Citation

Kelly, E., Stokes, D., Moore, C., Johnston G. and Aristegui Ezquibela, M. (2025). Cruise report: Irish Anglerfish and Megrim Survey 2025. FEAS Survey Series: IAMS 2025. Marine Institute.