Deep Sea Coral Research



Scientists from academic and research institutions and federal and international agencies, are delving into the mysteries of deep-sea coral reefs off the Southeast Atlantic and in the Gulf of Mexico during a four part research program taking place between August and December, 2009. Steve Ross, research associate professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington's Center for Marine Science, will serve as chief scientist for four major cruises which range from waters off North Carolina, Florida and Louisiana. The research cruises are funded by the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration's Deep Sea Coral Science and Technology Program, United States Geological Survey, Minerals Management Service, University of North Carolina Wilmington, and Florida Atlantic University.

Studying the Sea Floor

Flytrap Anenome

(Credit: Steve Ross)


Lophelia coral reefs are part of more than 23,000 square miles of deep coral and hard bottom reefs in the Atlantic Ocean proposed for protection by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council. The Coral Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (CHAPC) will be the largest protected reef system in the Atlantic and will protect the area from bottom trawling and other human-made damage. Scientists will combine new information and samples collected during the cruises with information from previous research to help make the case for the protection of this reef area. A final decision on the designations is expected in late 2009.

 

Underwater Vehicle

Only in the last 10 years has seafloor mapping technology allowed researchers to find and properly study these amazing ecosystems, making their full impact on the environment and marine life a mystery for scientists to solve. The cold, deep water has so far sheltered deep reefs from the temperature increase and pollutants that have affected shallow tropical corals; however, that may change in the future. Deep water reefs are particularly vulnerable to bottom trawling, a technique used for fishing, and ocean acidification. Increasing acidification associated with increasing carbon dioxide absorbed by seawater reduces the amount of calcium carbonate needed by ocean life like corals to create skeletons. The coral skeletons provide structure that attracts ocean life.

Studies and Findings

Elephant Ear Coral

High resolution (Credit: Steve Ross)

Deep coral reefs grow slower and live longer than shallow tropical reefs. "What we are finding is that we not only didn't know how much habitat was down there, but that there were a lot of hidden new species that nobody knew about. The deep water reefs are irreplaceable. Once destroyed, it may be impossible for them to reestablish themselves," said Ross. "Once you incorporate a one-degree temperature change in the deep ocean, it may stay there for decades before that heat can be released. Corals are old and slow growing, so they may never recover from the damage at all, and if they do, it could take hundreds or thousands of years."

 

Studying Deep Sea Coral

High resolution (Credit: Steve Ross)

The coral, including bamboo and black corals, have rings similar to trees that allow scientists to chemically detect environmental changes over time. The corals may give scientists a several thousand year record of environmental changes such as ocean temperatures, ocean productivity, volcanic activity and dust storms. The scientists will also study habitat distribution and the deep reef community ecology. Previous trips to the deep sea coral reefs in the Atlantic have yielded valuable scientific information, including the discovery of several new species of marine life. Team members, including UNCW's Steve Ross, discovered several new species of fish, starfish and crabs, including a new hagfish, a new eel and two small fish that hide in the corals.

Deep Sea Coral Reef Cruises

The first cruise will take place August 6 through August 17, 2009 onboard the R/V Seward Johnson, and will travel to the Lophelia pertusa (the scientific name for the dominant deep-sea coral) coral reefs located off the coast of Cape Canaveral, FL. The team will use Harbor Branch's Johnson-Sea-Link manned submersible to study the reefs and collect samples of coral and marine life for further analysis once they return to shore. Joining Dr. Ross on this cruise will be co-investigator John Reed, senior research scientist with Florida Atlantic University. In addition, other co-investigators represent a variety of institutions: Dr. Martha Nizinski (NOAA Systematics Lab), Dr. Cheryl Morrison (USGS), Dr. Amanda Demopoulos (USGS), D. Murray Roberts (Scottish Association for Marine Science), Dr. Saundra Brooke (Marine Conservation Biology Inst.), Stacy Harter (NOAA Fisheries), and Liz Baird (NC Museum of Natural Sciences).

Sorting Midwater Catch

High resolution (Credit: Steve Ross)

Science Objectives for all four cruises are:

Education/Outreach Objectives include:

Dates Ship Ports Cruise Location
Aug 6 - Aug 17 HBOI Seward Johnson Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute South Atlantic, N Florida w/in CHAPCs
Aug 26 - Sept 8 NOAA Nancy Foster Ft. Pierce & Key West South Atlantic, N Florida w/in CHAPCs
Sept 14 - Sept 25 HBOI Seward Johnson Key West & Gulfport, MS N. and E. Gulf of Mexico
Dec 1 - Dec 11 R/V Cape Hatteras (Duke) Beaufort, NC Off Cape Lookout, NC w/in CHAPCs

Cruise logs and outreach materials will be available throughout the duration of the cruises and can be found on the USGS DISCOVRE's website.