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Cruise 2008

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USGS DISCOVRE EXPEDITION

Diversity, Systematics, and Connectivity of Vulnerable Reef Ecosystems

Image courtesy of Lophelia II 2008: Deepwater Coral Expedition: Reefs, Rigs, and Wrecks and Andrea Quattrini.

The 4-year multidisciplinary research program will focus on understanding the physical oceanography, biology, ecology, genetic connectivity, and trophodynamics of deep coral environments in the Gulf of Mexico (300-1000 m depths), both within natural and artificial (shipwreck) sites. The program has integrated a diverse group of collaborators, including scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNC-W), UNC Chapel Hill, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), and the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS). It is part of a larger effort involving the Minerals Management Service (MMS), NOAA Ocean Explorer, and TDI Brooks. We will use a combination of traditional techniques (for example, photography, quantitative sample collections) and several advanced tools (including remotely operated vehicles, multibeam sonar, benthic landers, and genetic analysis) in order to better understand these critical, poorly studied deep-sea habitats.

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Media Inquiries: Gary Brewer, (304) 724-4507, gbrewer@usgs.gov