With the continuing global depletion of coastal fisheries, commercial fishing vessels are moving into deeper water and exploiting fish and crustacean species that are frequently associated with complex coral structures. Deep-sea coral ecosystems (DSCE) exist at numerous locations around the coast of Florida. These coral communities provide habitat for relatively unknown but highly diverse assemblages of fish and invertebrates, many of which are undoubtedly undescribed species. There is therefore an urgent need to identify these coral habitats, map their distribution and abundance, and document any potentially valuable fishery species associated with them. Resource managers can use this information to develop conservation policy and scientists can use it as a foundation for hypothesis driven ecological and physiological research. Since deepwater reefs are not visible to the general public, dissemination of information through the media and the education system is vital in order to create empathy for their protection. The overarching objective of this proposal is to increase the current understanding of deep-water coral habitats along Florida's coasts. Primary objectives use shipboard technology and the JSL submersible to map coral distribution and characterize communities (particularly commercial fisheries' species) found in association with high-relief geological features in four regions of interest: the base of the Florida-Hatteras Slope, the Miami and Pourtal's Terraces, and the SW Florida shelf slope. Secondary objectives address aspects of coral biology, diversity and biogeography of associated fauna, and microbial ecology. The proposed research will not only provide important information about the deepwater coral ecosystems off the Florida coast, but also contains a significant outreach element.

Deep coral habitats are more extensive and important than previously known, and at the same time they are being threatened. These high profile features may concentrate exploitable resources and enhance local productivity in ways similar to seamounts, but this has not yet been explored. Even though hypotheses have been posed on how coral banks form, data are lacking. Live coral ages and growth rates are poorly known in this area, and ages of coral mounds or dead coral stands are also limited or equivocal. The degree to which there is an obligate deep coral fauna is unclear. While the genetic structure of Lophelia in the northeastern Atlantic is being described, such studies are just beginning in the western Atlantic. It is for these reasons that locating, describing, and mapping deep corals and conducting basic biological studies in these habitats are priorities for our research. On our previous cruises, we have documented deep coral and outer shelf reef habitats and associated biota. However, these missions have only begun to quantify this extensive habitat off the southeastern US (SEUS). Our studies have also yielded many new records of biota, new ecological data, new data on habitat distributions/structures, and data on water column trophic connectivity. This cruise continues and expands our explorations of these unique and relatively unknown deep-water habitats.

Scientists examined the coral-associated invertebrate fauna at three large precious coral beds in the Hawaiian Archipelago, the Makapuu Bed, on the southwest slope of Oahu, the Keahole Bed, on the western slope of Hawaii, and the Cross Seamount Bed.

Shallow Corals were extracted from the Benthic Cover described herein by exporting all features classified as "B2.1.2" within the Biotic Cover Code field. Benthic cover (habitat) maps are derived from aerial imagery, underwater photos, acoustic surveys, and data gathered from sediment samples. Shallow to moderate-depth benthic habitat information assists ecosystem-based marine resource management. Many habitats, including hard and soft corals, are home to a diversity of marine organisms, which provide many important ecosystem services, including fishing, tourism, water quality enhancement, and shoreline protection. Coral reef ecosystems and associated bottom types are under increasing pressure from environmental and anthropogenic stressors. Mitigating these threats requires analyzing their spatial distribution, making benthic habitat mapping a key component to the conservation and management activities of state and federal agencies.

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.

MScience undertook a variety of studies for Dampier Port Authority and Pilbara Iron in response to proposals involving dredging of new berths and channels that occurred: Dampier Port Authority (DPA): 8 January - 20 May 2004; and Hamersley Iron Pty Limited (HI): 8 May - 23 October 2004 . Data collected involved surveying distribution of coral species and their community structure, high-precision monitoring of coral, patterns of mortality from natural and anthropogenic influences (cyclone and dredging), water quality and investigating the reproductive status of corals in the turbid inshore marine environments of Dampier Harbour.

This record refers to reef fish data collected on the 2004 cruise to Navassa Island National Wildlife Refuge. The random point count method (Bohnsack-Bannerot 1986) was used and parameters collected include 1) sample information (latitude-longitude, depth, date, observer, time, visibility); fish species (numbers and size ranges); and 3) habitat information (percent benthic cover, bottom type, and rugosity).

This data set is an ArcView shapefile set that contains locations of sampled coral reef fish species at the National Marine Sanctuary along the Florida Keys. The dataset contains information about 5 classes of coral reefs, 216 fish species, and 6 benthic habitat. The data were collected from 1997.

This data set is an ArcView shapefile set that contains locations of sampled coral reef fish species at the National Marine Sanctuary along the Florida Keys. The dataset contains information about 5 classes of coral reefs, 216 fish species, and 6 benthic habitat. The data were collected from 1993.