Mission Plan: Leg 1

Roger Pugliese, Senior Fishery Biologist, SAFMC
Myra Brouwer, Fishery Scientist, SAFMC

Background
Off Florida, deepwater coral ecosystems exist along the eastern and southwest shelf slope (in addition to the Oculina Marine Protected Area and deep shelf-edge reefs). These include a variety of high-relief, hard- and live-bottom areas along the base of the Florida-Hatteras Slope off northeastern and central eastern Florida, the Straits of Florida, the Miami Terrace and Pourtales Terrace off southeastern Florida, and the southwestern Florida shelf slope.

The predominant coral on these reefs are the azooxanthellate (lacking symbiotic zooxanthellae. See also ahermatypic), colonial stony corals, Lophelia pertusa, Madrepora oculata, and Enallopsammia profunda; various species of hydrocorals (family Stylasteridae), and species of bamboo coral (family Isididae). Several types of high-relief, live-bottom habitat have been discovered in the area: Lophelia mud mounds, lithoherms, sinkholes, ancient Miocene escarpments and karst topographic features (Reed 2002b; Reed et al., 2004a,b, 2005, 2006).

These all provide hard-bottom substrate and habitat for sessile organisms including deepwater corals, octocorals (gorgonians), black coral, and sponges, which in turn provide living space for a relatively unknown but biologically rich and diverse community of fish, crustaceans, mollusks, echinoderms, polychaete and sipunculan worms, and other organisms, many of which are undoubtedly undescribed species.

Due to their relative rarity and critical ecological function, the Council has proposed designating some of these areas as Coral Habitat Areas of Particular Concern. To learn more about the process of selecting the four areas currently proposed for designation and learn more about their importance, visit the Lophelia Communities page.

Expeditions between 2002 and 2006 funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Ocean Exploration (OE) initially explored additional deepwater reef sites in the western Atlantic. These were the first submersible and ROV dives ever to document the habitat and benthic biodiversity of some of these deep-water reefs.

Expedition Value in Supporting Management
The SAFMC manages coral, coral reefs and live/hard bottom habitat, including deepwater corals, through the South Atlantic Coral Fishery Management Plan. The South Atlantic Council, supported by deepwater research conducted over the last five years and at the recommendation the Council’s Coral and Habitat Advisory Panels is proposing the establishment of four new deepwater Coral Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (Left. Click for larger image).

This expedition is specifically addressing mapping needs identified as high priority in the Council’s draft Deepwater Coral Research and Monitoring Plan for the South Atlantic Region. The primary goal of this Research and Monitoring Plan is to support conservation and management of deepwater coral ecosystems in the South Atlantic region while addressing NOAA’s strategy to balance long-term uses of the marine ecosystem with maintenance of biodiversity. The Plan also assists in meeting the new mandates of the Magnuson-Stevens Act.

The Expedition
Sampling will be conducted primarily on Florida Offshore Continental Shelf waters. The first task will be the Nancy Foster ship based mapping priority areas encompassed in proposed Deepwater Coral Habitat Areas of Particular Concern off the East Coast of Florida (Right. Click for larger image). Ship-based mapping will be conducted to follow fathometer readings of potential deepwater coral pinnacles/habitat provided by John Reed, HBOI. AUV mapping and characterization of targets which occur in the proposed Deepwater Coral Habitat Areas of Particular Concern is the next priority. Mapping using the Nancy Foster's system will continue until map Areas A-C are reached.

Map areas A, B and C will be mapped to the degree possible with the Nancy Foster. If time allows, the Nancy Foster on the return trip to Savannah, will complete the track of fathometer readings so it can be combined with the multi-beam track collected in the steam down from Savannah. Also, depending on time available, the vessel may collect multi-beam for preparation one selected mid-shelf habitat offshore North Florida.The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council is collaborating with NOAA, UNCW/NURC, HBOI and State partners to collect information on the deepwater coral habitats in the South Atlantic region in order to enhance knowledge of habitats encompassed and further support the designation of proposed Deepwater Coral Habitat Areas of Particular Concern. Data compiled during this expedition will therefore provide useful information for management as well as science.

Objectives of the expedition include conducting ship based mapping and characterization of benthic habitats in the South Atlantic region including priority areas encompassed in proposed Deepwater Coral Habitat Areas of Particular Concern off the East coast of Florida; conduct AUV Mapping and Characterization of Benthic Habitats in the South Atlantic Region including priority areas encompassed in proposed Deepwater Coral Habitat Areas of Particular Concern off the East Coast of Florida; and to promote public literacy through outreach and education activities

Considering deepwater coral habitats are newly discovered and not visible to the general public, dissemination of information through web pages and Internet Mapping Systems will educate the public, commercial and recreational fishermen, partner agencies and conservation advocates regarding their existence and need for protection. The overarching objective of this expedition is to increase current understanding of the distribution and complexity of deepwater coral ecosystems along Florida’s coasts. Explorations conducted over the last couple of years indicate these habitats are virtually pristine and more widespread than originally thought. The extent, complexity and ecological role as essential fish habitat is only now being uncovered.

Mapping Methods
Two activities are scheduled for Leg I, ship based multi-beam and AUV multi-beam operations. These activities will not occur simultaneously. The Eagle Ray AUV can operate for up to 30 hours, after which it requires 15 hours to charge the battery. Therefore, the Nancy Foster will conduct alternating periods of Eagle Ray AUV (left) multi-beam operations and ship-based multi-beam operations, the timing of which will depend on the size of target areas to be mapped. As a result, each day will be unique in terms of the schedule of activities.

Itinerary
Leg 1 (June 1 - June 11) Florida East Coast outer continental shelf waters, North Florida through Miami Terrace in water depths greater than 900 feet. The Nancy Foster will begin mapping inside the proposed Deepwater Coral Habitat Area of Particular Concern along a line down to Miami Terrace areas covered will include both areas suspect of having high relief deepwater coral habitat and areas which are used by golden crab or the golden crab fishery. The Eagle Ray Autonomous Underwater Vehicle will also be deployed to collect high resolution multi-beam on priority targets. The Foster, on the return trip to Savannah, will expand existing and complete remaining map targets collected on the steam down from Savannah including if time permits, mapping of the mid-shelf habitat targets. The vessel will dock on June 12 in Savannah, Georgia to change crews and conduct Leg 2 of the cruise.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, headquartered in Charleston, S.C., is responsible for the conservation and management of fish and fish habitat within the federal 200-mile limit of the Atlantic off the coasts of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and east Florida to Key West.

Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary is one of the largest near shore live-bottom reefs in the southeastern United States. The sanctuary is located 17.5 nautical miles off Sapelo Island, GA.

The UNCW/NURC Eagle Ray AUV is operated by the National Undersea Research Center at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. The AUV is designed for deepwater operation to 2200 meters. Its >5 meter length provides payload volume for mission-specific sensors, as well as the primary multibeam sonar and conductivity-temperature-density (CTD) sensor. Surveys greater than 150 km long and deployments up to 30 hours in duration can be achieved.

Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution is dedicated to exploring the world's oceans, integrating the science and technology of the sea with the needs of humankind. With a staff of over 250, includes scientists, engineers, mariners and support personnel, they are involved in research and education in the marine sciences; biological, chemical, and environmental sciences; marine biomedical sciences; marine mammal conservation; aquaculture; and ocean engineering.