ABOUT DANA
Dana is Denmark's largest research vessel and DTU Aqua's primary vessel. Dana’s home port is Hirtshals in Northern Jutland.
Dana on cruise in Skagerrak and the North Sea
The research vessel Dana is on the International Bottom Trawl Survey to collect data on the most important commercial fish species.
On 10-29 January 2025, the research vessel Dana is participating in the International Bottom Trawl Survey (IBTS), which is coordinated by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES).
The survey is conducted in spring and autumn every year. Countries fishing in Skagerrak and the North Sea (Denmark, France, Norway, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands and UK England/Scotland) collect data on fish stocks in defined areas to cover a large area in total.
Which data is collected?
Data is collected by short-term fishing at specific stations. Data includes e.g. fish age, length, weight, age and maturity, which are used to estimate abundance and biomass.
The IBTS cruises also collect data on herring and sprat larvae in the 1st and 3rd quarter, respectively, as well as data on oceanographic conditions, such as temperature, which can help explain the distribution of fish stocks.
What is the data used for?
Data from the countries' cruises is collated and processed in ICES. The results are turned into biological advice on the state of the fish stocks. This advice is targeted at the authorities, who use it as a basis when setting fishing quotas and other rules for fishing.
Where is Dana now?
Contact
Kai Ulrich Wieland Head of Section National Institute of Aquatic Resources kw@aqua.dtu.dk