This dataset contains observations of species occurrences from seafloor imagery collected by the autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) during the 2012 Expedition to Cobb Seamount. The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration-operated SeaBED-class AUV which collected photographic images from 4 transects ranging from 436 m to 1154 m in depth.

This cruise used the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Jason II to: explore 4-6 new sites for the occurrence of deep water coral reefs; made collections of Lophelia and other corals for genetic and physiological studies, made collections of communities associated with Lophelia and other corals for ecological studies; collected quantitative digital imagery for characterization of sites and coral communities; collect spatially explicit physical near bottom oceanographic data; deploy cameras and microbial arrays; reposition larval traps and current meters; collected push cores; and conducted a series of linked archaeological/ biological investigations on deep water shipwrecks.

This dataset contains oceanographic data (ADCP Lander, Chemical, CTD, ROV, SCS), biological images and videos, and documentation. This project involves a comprehensive multidisciplinary study to explore and characterize two deep coral habitats with contrasting benthic communities on the west Florida slope of the Gulf of Mexico, including the testing of newly developed sensors deployed on an ROV to map and fully resolve the carbonate system at the sites.

Building off the successes of an Office of Ocean Exploration (OE) expedition to Davidson Seamount in 2002, this project will focus on deep-water corals. The week-long expedition in 2002 was the initial effort to characterize the biology and geology of the Davidson Seamount, 1,250 - 3,700 meters deep off Central California. Many results and products from this cruise are relevant to OE, including ocean science issues, education, outreach, and resource management. The focus of the proposed 2005 cruise would be to expand on the exploratory results of our last seamount expedition to investigate processes that generated coral distribution patterns. We will use a simple model derived from results of the last cruise to test our understanding of coral distribution, and use this model to guide exploration in other regions of the Seamount (still over 99.98% unexplored.) Specific regions of the seamount will be targeted based on a topographic index, substratum type, and coral species depth records. Complementary studies of the biodiversity and population dynamics of seamount fauna will include collections of corals for taxonomic studies, and age and growth studies of corals using innovative radiometric techniques. Addressing the public interest in seamounts, corals, and exploration, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) will record imagery from Davidson Seamount to feature in an upcoming television series, co-produced with the Discovery Channel, for broadcast in the United States and internationally. The Sanctuary West Coast Visitor Center and Monterey Bay Aquarium have plans to feature seamounts and corals in future exhibits, and high-definition video imagery, as well as research findings will be pivotal in the exhibit development.