SEACAMS2 Research Facilities

RV Mary Anning

SEACAMS2 Research facilities at Swansea University

Research vessels

The Biological Sciences research vessel, the RV Mary Anning, is a new boat that was completed in May 2019. The Mary Anning is an 18.5m x 6m survey vessel with a cruising speed of 18 kts. It has a wet lab and a dry computer lab on board with a range of scientific equipment.

SEACAMS2 also have access to RV Calypso, a 6m Humber RIB which can be used for coastal survey work including diver survey, equipment deployment and maintenance.

Previous to this the RV Noctiluca has been the research vessel used for marine research and training in connection with the University's teaching and research programme. It is a unique, twin-hulled, shallow-draft, aluminium vessel that combines speed, maneuverability and efficiency with a flexible work platform.

For any additional information please contact:

Keith Naylor, Master R.V. Mary Anning

Max Robinson, Marine technician

Field Equipment

Field equipment available at Swansea University includes:

Leica GNSS NetRover for highly accurate topographic surveys in real-time,
YSI 6600-M Sonde, a self logging in situ probe to measure profiles of conductivity (salinity), temperature, oxygen saturation, turbidity, and chlorophyll fluorescence,
Sea Spy underwater camera for underwater seabed surveys.

Scientific Survey Equipment on board RV Mary Anning:

Kongsberg M3 Multibeam.
Simrad EK80 Fisheries echo sounder.
ADCP (Acoustic Doppler current meter).
Trawl monitor sensors.
Multichannel flourometer.
ROV (small inspection model)
Forward and stern facing marine mammal acoustic sensors.
Towed camera systems.
Greenhouse gas analyser.
Dermersal and Pelagic trawls, plankton nets
Day, long arm Vanveen and Hamon grabs.
Automatic sieve system operated by high volume deck pump.
2 m scientific beam trawl.
CPODs
BRUVs

Laboratories

SEACAMS2 manages a benthos and water quality laboratory at Swansea University to analyse and process water, sediment and specimen samples. The laboratory comprises a unique benthic specimen reference collection as well as specialist compact and stereo-microscopes. The water quality lab houses a Segmented Flow Nutrient Analyser used for the accurate detection and measurement of trace inorganic nutrients in a wide range of natural water samples. Typically, analysis includes ammonia, phosphate, silicate, nitrate and nitrite, Dissolved Organic Carbon, Dissolved Inorganic carbon, Total Oxidised Nitrogen, Total Dissolved Phosphorus.

For catchment studies and sediment samples, the team has access to muffle furnaces for determining organic content, a Coulter particle-size analyser, Bartington magnetic susceptibility equipment and a Niton XRF analyser for determining heavy metal concentrations.

For DNA analysis the team also have access to laboratories within the department whereby sterile working conditions allow for accurate DNA amplification and eDNA analysis.

Other laboratory equipment available includes:

Fluorescence microscope
Spectrophotometer
Flow cytometer
Stable isotope ratio analyser

Software

SEACAMS has access to standard software including MS Office and LaTeX for report development as well as standard statistical packages such as IBM's SPSS and R. In addition to these a number of specialist software packages are available for use including the following:

PRIMER-E - Environmental multivariate statistical analysis package.
HYPACK - Multi-input hydrographic survey package.
ArcGIS - GIS system used for investigating geomorphic change and fluvial processes, mapping habitats and analysing remotely sensed data.
Leica GNSS/GPS System integrating high accuracy mapping and surveying in real time and post-processing.
HEC RAS - A river analysis software system to perform one-dimensional steady flow, unsteady flow, sediment transport/mobile bed computations and water temperature modelling.
Python - High level programming language for rapid development of bespoke software.