Reflections from the Moroccan scientists aboard the Nansen
- The group on the third leg
As the third leg of the Nansen’s northwest African pelagic survey trip has wound down, we have some time to reflect on our recent experiences aboard the Nansen, and to include our thoughts in a blog post.
The third leg of the survey voyage took place within the Moroccan EEZ, departing from port on 9 November. The team embarked in Nouakchott.
The Moroccan scientific team was composed of:
- Mr. Salaheddine El Ayoubi - Head of the Acoustic Laboratory of the Regional Centre of the INHR, Agadir and Leader of the Moroccan Team.
- Mr. Saïd Ait Taleb - BiologistTechnician of the Regional Centre of the INHR, Tanger.
- Mr. Abdallah Motiq – Oceanographic Technician of the Regional Centre of the INHR, Casablanca-Nador.
- Mr. Mustapha Bahadda – Cartographic Technician at the INHR Central Laboratories, Casablanca.
The mixture of nationalities and cultures on board did not in any way hinder an immediate team spirit and harmony among all the international scientists from the moment we stepped on board. We were impressed by how quickly we fell into efficient team work in our six-hour shifts/six-hour resting periods in order to guarantee that work took place around the clock.
Each team contained a head, who was charged with assigning the various tasks to be completed according to the specializations of each team member, and who also reported back to the survey leader.
To better manage its work, the two teams worked in a complementary fashion, as if they were one single team. Our two fellow scientists and ‘guardian angels’ Deborah Catena and Diana Zaera, ensured that the entire team was comfortable working with the Nansis software, which was necessary for capturing and recording our work.
During this third leg of the survey trip, we conducted 74 trawling exercises. 60 stations were pelagic and 14 were demersal.
Work on board consisted of sorting and sampling of the target species, recording their measurements and undertaking biological analysis. The target species of the small pelagic sampling stations were : sardines (Sardina pilchardus), anchovies (Engraulis encrasicolus), European horse mackerel (Trachurus trachurus), lchinchard Cunene (Trachurus trecae), Spanish mackerel (Scomber japonicus), and sardinelle (Sardinella aurita, Sardinella maderensis).
Thinking back to our life onboard, we were pleasantly surprised by the relatively comfortable conditions. Everything was well organized and nothing was left to chance. With good rooms, a pleasant common room with movies and a small gym, we didn’t lack for anything on board.
Now that we’ve reached the end of our journey, the Moroccan scientific team wishes to warmly thank our Norwegian counterparts, in particular, our survey leader Elena Eriksen (alongside deputy leader Salaheddine El Ayoubi) and our ship’s captain Mr Aron Hapoldoy for their constant goodwill and the important role they played in ensuring such a well-developed, productive survey voyage in a remarkably convivial atmosphere. We also wish to thank the entire crew for their professional capacities and their warmth in welcoming us on board.
The Moroccan scientific team is extremely proud to have taken part in such a rewarding and exciting survey voyage, one we are convinced will be beneficial to maritime fisheries research. We are pleased to have been a part of it.
Our best wishes go to the new scientists aboard the Nansen for the fourth and final leg of the Nansen Northwest Africa survey voyage! Be sure to follow their work through their blog posts.
- Missing the sunsets on board
