Life on the Edge: Exploring Deep Ocean Habitats August 6 — 17, 2009 This is the first cruise in the second year of a multi-agency deep coral program. We will be exploring deep coral ecosystems in the south Atlantic, off Cape Canaveral, Florida. The primary research objectives are to examine and classify deep coral reef habitats and their associated fauna and compare them with non-reef environments. We will be using the R/V Seaward Johnson combined with the 4-person submersible Johnson-Sea-Link. The sub will be used to conduct photographic surveys of the deep coral habitats and collect coral and coral inhabitants for genetics, microbiology, food-web, and community studies. These specimens will be used to characterize the biological diversity, population connectivity, and food webs of deep coral habitats. Lastly, we will conduct multibeam mapping of the study sites.

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Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary and South Atlantic Fishery Management Council Regional Development and Assessment Cruise June 1 — June 11, 2007 This cruise focused on Florida mid-shelf and outer continental shelf waters. The first task was to collect data (multi-beam and backscatter) to prepare maps of three selected mid-shelf habitats in depths between 30 and 40 meters offshore North Florida. The second task was ship-based mapping of selected bottom habitats including areas within the Council’s proposed Deepwater Coral Habitat Areas of Particular Concern off the East Coast of Florida. Once the vessel moved off the shelf, mapping took place in areas where previous surveys had indicated the potential for deepwater coral pinnacles/habitat.

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Florida's Deep Water Oases -- Exploration of a Deef Reef Ecosystem May 31 — June 6, 2006 This multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional research cruise explored a relatively unknown deep-water reef on the Miami Terrace off the coast of Florida. This region of the Miami Terrace escarpment provides habitat for a rich, deep-water reef ecosystem. Participants included scientists from the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution's (HBOI) Deep Ocean Exploration Working Group and colleagues from various Florida universities, government agencies and NGOs.

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Exploration of Deepwater Coral Ecosystems off the Coast of Florida November 7 — November 21, 2005 Scientists participating on the Exploration of Deep-water Coral Ecosystems off the Coast of Florida expedition used shipboard technology and the Johnson Sea-Link (JSL) submersible to map coral distribution and characterize fish communities found in association with high-relief geological features in four regions of interest: the base of the Florida-Hatteras Slope, the Miami and Pourtalès Terraces, and the SW Florida shelf slope. In addition, collection and analyses of deep water marine life provided researchers with a better understanding of deepwater coral biology, diversity and biogeography of associated fauna, and microbial ecology.

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Life on the Edge 2005: Exploring Deepwater Communities October 16 — November 4, 2005 The Life on the Edge 2005 expedition covered over 650 nautical miles (1,205 km). Scientists located and sampled poorly studied middle slope coral banks (mostly Lophelia, 360-800 m) from Cape Lookout, NC, to southeastern FL. The Johnson Sea-Link (JSL) submersible was used to quantify biota and habitat on and near reefs via standardized video transects and point observations. In addition, the JSL collected samples of corals and associated invertebrates for various purposes.