This dataset provides geo-referenced observations on the occurrence of corals, sponges, fishes, and invertebrates in the deep waters of the northern Gulf of America. This dataset comprises video annotations on the diversity and abundance of organisms observed in 69 remotely operated vehicle (ROV) dives conducted over a five-year period from 2017-2021. Dives took place across the continental shelf and slope offshore Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida at depths ranging from 55 to 2,200 meters below sea level. Data is formatted in an Excel workbook. This data package includes images taken from the ROV video, along with summary reports. This dataset provides annotations for data originally collected through two projects - the NOAA RESTORE Science Program “Population Connectivity of Deepwater Corals in the Northern Gulf of Mexico” (NA17NOS4510096) and NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, Competitive Research Program “Connectivity of Coral Ecosystems (CYCLE) in the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico” project (NA17NOS4510096).

This dataset collection contains raw (unprocessed) data, including physical, navigational, and biological data, as well as map images, stills, and video files collected during the Mesophotic and Deep Benthic Communities (MDBC) expedition PS-22-22 aboard R/V Point Sur between 2022-05-31 and 2022-06-11. The data were collected in 2022 as a part of the Mesophotic and Deep Benthic Communities (MDBC): CPT and HAE Projects. These projects were a few of many selected by the Open Ocean Trustee Implementation Group to restore natural resources injured by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Twenty-three remotely operated vehicle (ROV) dives were conducted at twelve sites during the cruise. ROV operations were conducted to sample and survey sites for husbandry and genetics. Live coral fragments were collected for propagation at federal labs. Coral snips were also collected for microbiology, population genetics, taxonomic barcoding, and reproduction data. CTD rosette casts were conducted daily with water sampling for husbandry and environmental DNA, also known as eDNA. Data loggers were deployed to monitor temperature and currents, and one data sensor that had been previously deployed by a separate project to monitor light and temperature parameters was recovered. Highlight videos were collected for outreach and education purposes as well. Additional related processed data products may also be included in this collection as they are submitted to the NCEI archive.

This dataset contains files produced by CTD rosette casts from the R/V Point Sur during the MDBC expedition PS-23-09. The ship conducted 58 CTD casts. Plots of the CTD data are also included. Data was collected from deep sites in northeastern Gulf of Mexico from 2022-09-08 to 2022-09-26.

This dataset contains CTD rosette sensor files collected from casts aboard R/V Point Sur during MDBC Cruise PS-24-10. The ship conducted CTD casts at multiple sites in the depth range from 59 to 101 meters in the northeastern Gulf of Mexico during the time period 2023-10-09 to 2023-10-18. The CTD survey resulted in sixteen total casts. Plots of the CTD data and coordinate locations are also included.

This dataset contains files produced by CTD casts from the R/V Point Sur during MDBC expedition PS-23-23. The ship conducted fourteen CTD casts at multiple mesophotic sites in the depth range from 53 to 102 meters in northeastern Gulf of Mexico during the time period 2023-05-17 to 2023-05-24. Plots of the CTD data and coordinate locations are also included.

This dataset contains raw: physical, navigational, biological, and both still and video imagery data files collected during the Mesophotic and Deep Benthic Communities (MDBC) Expedition PS-22-08 cruise between 2021-10-04 and 2021-10-08. Seven dives were conducted at 5 sites, including 3 CTD casts and 2 survey transects during the cruise. ROV operations were conducted to sample and survey sites with goals to acquire live corals for husbandry and genetics research. Coral snips were also collected for microbiology, population genetics, barcoding, and reproduction data. CTD rosette casts were conducted daily with water sampling for husbandry and eDNA. Highlight videos were collected for outreach and education purposes as well. Additional related data products may also be included in this collection as they are submitted to the NCEI archive. The data in this accession were funded by the Mesophotic and Deep Benthic Communities Restoration Coral Propagation Technique Development (CPT) and Habitat Assessment and Evaluation (HAE) projects. These projects are two of many selected by the Open Ocean Trustee Implementation Group to restore natural resources injured by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill was an unprecedented event. Approximately 3.2 million barrels of oil were released into the deep ocean over nearly three months. The plume of oil moved throughout the water column, formed surface slicks that cumulatively covered an area the size of Virginia, and washed oil onto at least 1,300 miles of shoreline habitats. More than 770 square miles (2,000 square kilometers) of deep benthic habitat were injured by the oil spill, including areas surrounding the Deepwater Horizon wellhead and parts of the Pinnacles Trend mesophotic reef complex, located at the edge of the continental shelf.

This dataset contains raw and processed data from an annual long-term monitoring study that documents the benthic and fish community changes at Stetson Bank, in the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. Stetson Bank is an uplifted claystone/siltstone feature, located 75 nautical miles from Galveston, TX in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico, that supports a well-developed benthic community of scleractinian coral and tropical marine sponges. Due to a wide range of temperatures and variable light availability, Stetson Bank has marginal environmental conditions for coral reef development and growth. The fish community is similar to other Caribbean reefs but has comparatively lower diversity. Monitoring has occurred on the bank crest (17-34 m) of the site since 1993. Bank crest monitoring includes random transect and repetitive photostation photographs of the benthos to estimate percent cover of major taxonomic groups (e.g., coral, sponge, algae). Benthic photographs are analyzed using Coral Point Count (CPCe) and output into Microsoft Excel worksheets. These data are analyzed for temporal community changes in Primer. Fish census surveys are conducted annually using a modified Bohnsack and Bannerot stationary method, both at random and repetitive sites. Fish data are recorded in Microsoft Excel worksheets. Primer software is used to identify any temporal shifts that occur in the fish community. Water quality parameters (e.g., temperature, salinity, turbidity, nutrients) are measured with moored conductivity temperature depth (CTD) instruments and quarterly profiles of the water column are performed. Temperature and salinity data are reduced to report daily averages. In 2015, monitoring efforts were expanded to include the deeper mesophotic habitat (34-64 m) surrounding the bank crest using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). Mesophotic monitoring includes random transect and repetitive photostation photographs of the benthos to estimate percent cover of major taxonomic groups (e.g., coral, sponge, algae). Repetitive photostation images are only assessed using qualitative summaries of key species identified in 2015 during installation. Random transect photographs are analyzed using Coral Point Count (CPCe) and output into Microsoft Excel worksheets. These data are analyzed for temporal community changes in Primer. Fish census surveys are conducted annually in conjunction with benthic transect surveys. Fish data are recorded in Microsoft Excel worksheets. Primer software is used to identify any temporal shifts that occur in the fish community. The bank crest benthic community at Stetson Bank has undergone several significant shifts, changing from a habitat predominated by hydrocoral and sponges to one of macroalgae and sponges. The fish community on the bank crest has varied annually. Exotic fish species are present at the bank, including lionfish (Pterois volitans/P. miles) and regal demoiselle (Neopomacentrus cyanomos). Fluctuations in oceanic conditions, macroalgae cover, and continued annual variation in fish communities were documented.