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CUBA’S MESOPHOTIC CORAL REEFS SPONGE PHOTO IDENTIFICATION GUIDE 1ST EDITION.
No full textMesophotic coral reef ecosystems (MCEs) are light-dependent benthic communities that occur deeper than shallow reefs and typically range from depths of 30 m to the bottom of the photic zone, which may extend to \u3e150 m in some regions. MCEs represent in part an extension of shallow-water coral reef ecosystems and support a diverse assemblages of habitat-building taxa, including corals, sponges and algae, and associated fish (Reed et al., 2018). Many MCEs worldwide appear to be thriving compared to shallow reefs. The deep reef refugia hypothesis suggests that MCEs may be less impacted from natural and anthropogenic impacts than shallow coral reefs, and may be more stable and resilient than shallow reefs. MCEs may also act as refugia for shallow reef species through the export of fish and coral larvae. However, it is now apparent that MCEs are also vulnerable to disturbances from all facets of perturbations including climate change, bottom trawling, invasive species, and pollution. Whereas considerable data have been reported regarding the distribution, ecology, and health of Cuba’s shallow reefs, relatively little is known about the distribution, community structure and health of Cuba’s deep mesophotic reefs. Cuba’s strong marine policies and legislation has already resulted in 105 MPAs, covering nearly 25% of its insular shelf, yet overfishing, poaching, pollution and global warming are threats to these vulnerable ecosystems, as reefs worldwide are threatened
CUBA\u27S MESOPHOTIC CORAL REEFS AND ASSOCIATED FISH COMMUNITIES.
No full textA joint Cuba-U.S. expedition was conducted May 14-June 12, 2017 to characterize for the first time the extent and health of mesophotic coral ecosystems (MCEs) along the entire coastline of Cuba. Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) dives at 36 sites confirmed the presence of MCE habitat along all coasts of Cuba. ROV dives covered 27 km, at depths of 25-188 m, and documented habitat and species with 103 hours of high-definition video and 21,146 digital images. A total of 477 taxa of benthic macrobiota and 178 fish taxa were identified, and 343 specimens of benthic invertebrates and algae were collected to verify taxonomy and assess population genetic structure. The primary geomorphological features were the Deep Island Slope (125- \u3e150 m), Deep Fore-Reef Escarpment (the ‘Wall’, 50-125 m), and Deep Fore-Reef Slope (30-50 m). Most vertical surfaces of the Wall were covered with dense sponges, algae, octocorals, and black corals. Agaricia was the most abundant scleractinian genus on the Wall at depths of 50-75 m, and was observed to 122 m. Of the 2,240 scleractinian colonies that were counted in this study, only 12 corals (0.53%, mainly Agaricia spp.) showed signs of bleaching, and one Agaricia had black band disease, comprising remarkably low disease prevalence. The most frequently recorded sponge genera were Xestospongia, Aplysina, and Agelas. At least 10 previously unknown sponge species were collected during the expedition. Sites outside of marine protected areas generally had lower fish abundances, a possible indicator of historical overfishing. Lionfish were observed at most sites but abundances were low compared to other Caribbean regions
SOUTH ATLANTIC MPAS AND OCULINA HAPC: CHARACTERIZATION OF FISH COMMUNITIES, BENTHIC HABITAT, AND BENTHIC MACROBIOTA: FINAL REPORT FOR 2015-2017 NOAA SHIP PISCES CRUISES (15-02, 16-20, 17-02).
Get PDFIn 2009, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC) established eight deepwater Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) along the outer continental shelf off the southeastern U.S. from south Florida to North Carolina. This report summarizes three research cruises that were conducted from 2015 to 2017 in support of this NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) and SAFMC grant. Seven MPA sites were surveyed in this 3-yr project and included St. Lucie Hump MPA, North Florida MPA, Georgia MPA, Edisto MPA, Charleston Deep Artificial MPA, Northern South Carolina MPA, and Snowy Wreck MPA. Also the Devil’s Hole Special Management Zone (SMZ) which was added in July 2017, and the Oculina HAPC and OECA were surveyed.
The cruises reported herein include: NOAA Ship Pisces Cruise 15-02, June 18-29, 2015; NOAA Ship Pisces 16-02, July 7-16, 2016; and NOAA Ship Pisces 17-02, June 19- July 5, 2017. Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) surveys, CTD casts, and multibeam sonar mapping were used to document and characterize the benthic habitats, benthic macrobiota, and fish populations within and adjacent to the MPA protected areas which are within the jurisdiction of the SAFMC. The Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) Mohawk ROV (operated by the Undersea Vehicles Program at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington) was used all three years
CUBA\u27S MESOPHOTIC CORAL REEFS MACROALGAE PHOTO IDENTIFICATION GUIDE.
No full textMesophotic coral reef ecosystems (MCEs) are light-dependent benthic communities that occur deeper than shallow reefs and typically range from depths of 30 m to the bottom of the photic zone, which may extend to \u3e150 m in some regions. MCEs represent in part an extension of shallow-water coral reef 3 ecosystems and support a diverse assemblages of habitat- building taxa, including corals, sponges and algae, and associated fish (Reed et al., 2018)
NOAA CIOERT CRUISE REPORT SOUTH ATLANTIC MPAS AND OCULINA HAPC: CHARACTERIZATION OF BENTHIC HABITAT AND BIOTA.
No full textThe South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC) and Department of Commerce through the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Management Act have established eight deepwater Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), five Deepwater Coral Habitat Areas of Particular Concern (CHAPCs), and the Oculina Coral HAPC off of the southeastern U.S. This project proposes to document and characterize the benthic habitat, benthic sessile biota, and fish populations within some of these protected areas and within the jurisdiction of the SAFMC. The Oculina Experimental Closed Area (OECA) was established in 1994 and closed the area to all bottom fishing in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the reserve for management and conservation of snapper grouper populations. The OECA is located within the Oculina Habitat Area of Particular Concern (OHAPC) which was established in 1984 when the significance and value of Oculina varicosa to important fishery species was recognized by the SAFMC. The OHAPC doubled in size when the Northern and Western Extensions were added with the implementation of Amendment 8 of the Fishery Management Plan in August 2015. As part of the OECA Evaluation Plan, a re-evaluation of the area is currently in progress. Data collected from the current grant will provide crucial data needed for this re-evaluation
MORPHOLOGICAL DIAGNOSES OF SPONGES COLLECTED AT SHELF-EDGE MPAS FROM EASTERN FLORIDA TO NORTH CAROLINA, BETWEEN DEPTHS OF 51 AND 150 M, DURING CIOERT EXPEDITIONS (2018-2019).
No full textThis paper is a result of the taxonomic analyses of the sponges collected during the NOAA Ship Pisces expeditions in 2018 and 2019 with the University of North Carolina, Wilmington (UNCW) Mohawk ROV. This is part of a 9-year project conducted by NOAA National Marine Fisheries (NMF) in collaboration with the Cooperative Institute for Ocean Exploration, Research, and Technology (CIOERT) at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Florida Atlantic University (HBOI-FAU) to document and monitor the Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) of the southeastern U.S. continental shelf (eastern Florida to North Carolina, 50-165 m deep). The most prominent and conspicuous sponges were collected with the intention of evaluating the biodiversity of this important benthic group in these mesophotic habitats. Eleven sponge samples were collected, and taxonomic evaluation, studying the internal and external morphology, resulted in: 1) three well recognized species from the Tropical Western Atlantic (Leiodermatium lynceus, Neofibularia nolitangere, Clathria foliacea), 2) four species with sibling recognized species but with major morphological differences that might require the description of new species (Epipolasis cf. profunda, Cliona cf. tumula, Cliona aff. celata), and 3) three species that only could receive generic assignations (Penares sp.1, Clathria sp.1, and Aaptos sp.1). These results show that more than half of the species collected represent unknown species to science, or unknown variations of recognized species. Careful comparison with species types and observations of spicules under SEM would allow the necessary evidence to characterize and classify these new species or varieties. We suggest further characterization of these novel fauna considering their level of abundance and distribution in the MPAs studied. A synoptic description of each species studied, with live, deck and microscopy photographs is here presented
CRUISE REPORT. CUBA\u27S TWILIGHT ZONE REEFS: REMOTELY OPERATED VEHICLE SURVEYS OF DEEP/MESOPHOTIC CORAL REEFS AND ASSOCIATED FISH COMMUNITIES OF CUBA.
No full textThe purpose of this research cruise was to discover and characterize, for the first time, the extent of mesophotic reefs along the entire coastline of Cuba, and to compare the health and connectivity (physical, genetic and ecological) among both mesophotic and previously well-characterized shallow reef systems in Cuba, the southeastern United States, and Gulf of Mexico (in particular, the FGBNMS and FKNMS). Moreover, the project will directly address a recommendation in the Report from MarCuba (2015) in which the U.S. and Cuban participants in this project stated their intention to initiate an international collaboration
CHARACTERIZATION OF MESOPHOTIC CORAL/SPONGE HABITATS AND FISH ASSEMBLAGES IN THE REGIONS OF PULLEY RIDGE AND TORTUGAS FROM ROV DIVES DURING R/V WALTON SMITH CRUISES OF 2012 TO 2015.
No full textThis report summarizes the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) surveys during four cruises from 2012 to 2015 which characterizes the mesophotic coral reef ecosystems at Pulley Ridge and Tortugas. This research is part of a grant funded by the NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science award NA11NOS4780045: “Connectivity of the Pulley Ridge - South Florida Coral Reef Ecosystem”. The University of Miami ship R/V Walton Smith was used along with the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW) Super Phantom ROV and the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation (NMSF) Mohawk ROV. The cruises were a collaboration of the University of Miami, HBOI-CIOERT, NOAA Fisheries, and the UNCW-CIOERT Undersea Vehicles Program. This project documents and characterizes the mesophotic benthic habitat, benthic macrobiota, and fish populations within and adjacent to Pulley Ridge Habitat Area of Particular Concern (PR HAPC) and at sites adjacent to, but outside, of the North and South Tortugas Ecological Reserves (TERs), and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS)
SOUTH ATLANTIC MPAS AND OCULINA HAPC: CHARACTERIZATION OF BENTHIC HABITAT AND BIOTA. NOAA SHIP PISCES CRUISE 15-02. NOAA CIOERT CRUISE REPORT.
Get PDFA 12 day research cruise was conducted June 18 to 29, 2015 by NOAA National Marine Fisheries on the NOAA Ship Pisces with the UNCW Mohawk ROV. Other collaborators involved include: the Cooperative Institute for Ocean Exploration, Research, and Technology (CIOERT) at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, Florida Atlantic University (HBOI-FAU), University of North Carolina at Wilmington, College of Charleston, University of Miami, and Boston University.
The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC) established eight deepwater Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) along the outer continental shelf off the southeastern U.S in February 2009 and the Oculina Habitat Area of Particular Concern (OHPAC) in 1984. This cruise was the first cruise of a 3-year grant to document and characterize the benthic habitats, benthic biota, and fish populations within and adjacent to the protected areas within the jurisdiction of the SAFMC