Mapping Deep-Sea Corals, Sponges, and Fish Habitat Off the U.S. West Coast

Surveying Deep-sea Corals, Sponges, and Fish Habitat Off the U.S. West Coast

Image Gallery

This page contains photos and videos associated with the Surveying Deep-sea Corals, Sponges, and Fish Habitat Off the U.S. West Coast expedition. Click on any image or video to view a larger version and for additional information.

Locations of the 15 sites successfully surveyed during the Surveying Deep-sea Corals, Sponges, and Fish Habitat expedition.

Locations of the 15 sites successfully surveyed during the Surveying Deep-sea Corals, Sponges, and Fish Habitat expedition.

Crew officers and scientists on the Reuben Lasker being training on the operation of the ROV and AUV.

Crew officers and scientists on the Reuben Lasker being training on the operation of the ROV and AUV.

AUV Popoki (left) and ROVs Guru and Yogi (right) on the deck of the Reuben Lasker.

AUV Popoki (left) and ROVs Guru and Yogi (right) on the deck of the Reuben Lasker.

Screenshot from VIAME showing the pink urchins that were detected in this AUV image.

Screenshot from VIAME showing the pink urchins that were detected in this AUV image.

Nancy Prouty collects water samples from Nisken bottles.

Nancy Prouty collects water samples from Nisken bottles.

Coral sample held in the collecting arm of the ROV just before it is placed in the collecting box for transport to the ship.

Coral sample held in the collecting arm of the ROV just before it is placed in the collecting box for transport to the ship.

Pockmark-like features in the soft sediment along the start of an ROV Yogi transect along the accumulation resembling a fan or debris field to the southwest of the mud volcano cone.

Pockmark-like features in the soft sediment along the start of an ROV Yogi transect along the accumulation.

GFOE’s telepresence antenna and van on deck of NOAA Ship Reuben Lasker.

Telepresence Antenna

GFOE’s telepresence antenna and van on deck of NOAA Ship Reuben Lasker.

Niskin bottles on the GFOE ROV Yogi.

Niskin bottles on the GFOE ROV Yogi.

Water filtering setup aboard the NOAA Ship Reuben Lasker.

Water Filtration

Water filtering setup aboard the NOAA Ship Reuben Lasker.

Octocoral and rockfish species detected in an eDNA sample collected at Mendocino Ridge in 2018.

Octocoral and rockfish species detected in an eDNA sample collected at Mendocino Ridge in 2018.

The AUV Popoki ready for operation on deck of the Reuben Lasker.

The AUV Popoki ready for operation on deck of the Reuben Lasker.

Screenshot from VIAME showing the pink urchins that were detected in this AUV image.

Screenshot from VIAME showing the pink urchins that were detected in this AUV image.

Fig. 1. Location of AUV Dive #7 at BOEM Humboldt Call Area off Eureka, CA.

Dive #7 Location

Location of AUV Dive #7 at BOEM Humboldt Call Area off Eureka, CA.

Fig. 2. AUV Popoki at the surface after completing a dive.

Popoki Surfacing

AUV Popoki at the surface after completing a dive.

Fig. 3. AUV Popoki being recovered to the ship after completing a dive.

Recovering Popoki

AUV Popoki being recovered to the ship after completing a dive.

Fig. 4a: Example AUV post-dive products including XY plot.

Example AUV post-dive products including XY plot.

Example AUV post-dive products including depth profile.

Example AUV post-dive products including T-S profile.

Fig. 5a: Example seafloor images from AUV Dive #7 at BOEM Humboldt Call Area off Eureka, CA. The first image (a) shows a muddy seafloor with soft-bottom animals, including a flapjack devilfish (Opisthoteuthis californiana), longspine thornyhead (Sebastolobus altivelis), two sea pens (Halipteris sp.) and several brittle stars.

Example seafloor images from AUV Dive #7 at BOEM Humboldt Call Area off Eureka, CA.

Fig. 5b: Low relief, mixed rocky and muddy habitat on a large ridge feature towards the end of the dive, with a sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria), a decorator crab (Chorilia sp.), several brittle stars and hydroids.

Low relief, mixed rocky and muddy habitat on a large ridge feature towards the end of the dive.

Figure 1: Color shaded-relief bathymetric map of the seafloor mound based on multibeam mapping on the NOAA Ship Fairweather.

Color shaded-relief bathymetric map of the seafloor mound.

Figure 2: ROV Yogi (black) and Hercules (blue) dive tracks along the seafloor mound.

ROV Yogi (black) and Hercules (blue) dive tracks.

Figure 3: Pockmark-like features in the soft sediment along the start of the Yogi ROV transect along the accumulation resembling a fan or debris field to the southwest of the cone.

Yogi Transect

Pockmark-like features in the soft sediment along the Yogi ROV transect.

Figure 4: Outcropping of carbonate providing suitable habitat for “mushroom” coral and evidence of active fluid venting supporting chemosynthetic clams and bacterial mats (white-grey zones).

Outcropping of carbonate providing suitable habitat for “mushroom” coral.

ROV Discussion: One of the most critical pre-cruise tasks was to have ship and ROV personnel collectively diagram, discuss, and practice ROV launch and recovery.

One of the most critical pre-cruise tasks was to collectively diagram, discuss, and practice ROV launch and recovery.

Lasker Loading: Ship’s crew loaded a subset of expedition equipment onto NOAA Ship Lasker in San Diego, CA.

Lasker Loading

Ship’s crew loaded a subset of expedition equipment onto NOAA Ship Lasker in San Diego, CA.

Telepresence Set up: Though expedition mobilization was primarily in Newport OR, a subset of GFOE personnel arrived at the ship earlier in San Diego, CA to get a jumpstart on preparations. One of the big items that GFOE personnel worked on during the San Diego to Newport transit was setting up the telepresence system.

Telepresence Set Up

One of the big items that GFOE personnel worked on during the San Diego to Newport transit was setting up the telepresence system.

VSAT Antenna: Streaming of the live video is possible because of the satellite antenna system under the white dome. The system packs up into the container it is mounted on.

Streaming of the live video is possible because of the satellite antenna system under the white dome.

Swing Arrestor: The round attachment at the end of the crane prevents the ROV from widely swinging back and forth with the movement of the ship.

The round attachment at the end of the crane prevents the ROV from widely swinging back and forth with the movement of the ship.

A still photo taken during a quantitative survey transect at Daisy Bank off Newport, Oregon, at 130 meters depth. The red laser dots are 10 cm apart and are located near the middle of the lower part of the screen. Lots of sponges and a few small rockfishes on boulder/cobble habitat will be recorded from the video during this part of the transect, as the ROV Yogi transits forward at a consistent speed, height off the seafloor, and direction.

A still photo taken during a quantitative survey transect at Daisy Bank off Newport, Oregon, at 130 meters depth.

A still photo taken during a quantitative survey transect off southern Oregon, at 650 meters depth. The red laser dots are 10 cm apart and are located near the middle of the lower part of the screen. Corals and a thornyhead on mud/cobble habitat will be recorded from the video during this part of the transect, as the ROV Yogi transits forward at a consistent speed, height off the seafloor, and direction.

A still photo taken during a quantitative survey transect off southern Oregon, at 650 meters depth.

Humpback Whale Sounds

Humpback Whale Sounds

This scrolling Spectrogram provides an image of the sounds you are hearing: Humpback Whales recorded off Morro Bay, California.

Crew of the NOAA Ship Fairweather preparing to deploy a drifting acoustic buoy off Northern California.

Fairweather Crew

Crew of the NOAA Ship Fairweather preparing to deploy a drifting acoustic buoy off Northern California.

Schematic of drifting acoustic buoys including ‘Hi-Flyer’ buoy with radar reflector and satellite transmitters, attached to a series of floats and a 100-150m vertical line to the acoustic recorder and anchor (to help the line stay vertical!)

Schematic of drifting acoustic buoys including ‘Hi-Flyer’ buoy with radar reflector and satellite transmitters.

Photograph of Cuvier’s beaked whales encountered in the California. Current Ecosystem during a survey using drifting acoustic buoys. Beaked whales may avoid vessels and are difficult to study using visual observations, but drifting buoys collect sounds used to study these elusive species.

Photograph of Cuvier’s beaked whales encountered in the California.

The proposed cruise track for the Mapping Deep-Sea Corals, Sponges, and Fish Habitat Off the U.S. West Coast expedition.

Lasker Criuse Map

The proposed cruise track for the Mapping Deep-Sea Corals, Sponges, and Fish Habitat Off the U.S. West Coast expedition.

The Southern California Seafloor Mapping Initiative (SCSMI) - a regional effort to collect high resolution mapping data applicable to numerous federal and state agencies – laid the foundation for EXPRESS. Multiple vessels will contribute to the emerging campaign.

SCS Mapping Initiative

The Southern California Seafloor Mapping Initiative (SCSMI) - a regional effort to collect high-resolution mapping data.

EXPRESS 2018 Overview: Google Earth image of the west coast of the United States. Image shows the outline of the five west coast National Marine Sanctuaries and a compilation of the multibeam data collected as part of EXPRESS in 2017 and 2018. These data are informing 2019 Lasker expedition plans.

EXPRESS 2018 Overview: Google Earth image of the west coast of the United States.

Around-the-clock operations planned onboard NOAA Ship Lasker include the NMFS SeaBED AUV and the Global Foundation for Ocean Exploration’s (GFOE) two-body ROV system Yogi and Guru.

Reuben Lasker

Operations planned onboard NOAA Ship Reuben Lasker include use of the SeaBED AUV and two-body ROV system Yogi and Guru.

GFOE Remotely Operated Vehicle Yogi is portable and capable to 1500 meters.

GFOE Remotely Operated Vehicle Yogi is portable and capable to 1500 meters.

GFOE ROV Yogi being launched for trim tests.

GFOE ROV Yogi being launched for trim tests.

The SeaBED AUV on deck awaits deployment.

The SeaBED AUV on deck awaits deployment.

Schematic diagram of the SeaBED AUV.

Schematic diagram of the SeaBED AUV.

Given deeper waters along the U.S. West Coast, floating wind technology will be used to tap offshore wind resources.

Given deeper waters along the U.S. West Coast, floating wind technology will be used to tap offshore wind resources.

Areas in central and northern California are currently being studied as possible future offshore wind sites. Ongoing studies will inform future decisions on future offshore renewable energy development.

Future Offshore Wind - Northern

Areas in central and northern California are currently being studied as possible future offshore wind sites.

Schematic diagram of the SeaBED wind.

Future Offshore Wind - Central

Areas in central and northern California are currently being studied as possible future offshore wind sites.

The 30 megawatt (MW) Hywind Scotland project began producing electricity from five 6 MW floating wind turbines off Peterhead, Scotland in October 2017.

Hywind Scotland Project

The 30 megawatt (MW) Hywind Scotland project began producing electricity from five 6 MW floating wind turbines off Peterhead.