DEEP SEARCH 2019: DEEP Sea Exploration to Advance Research on Coral/Canyon/Cold seep Habitats
Past Expedition
Overview
From April 9 to 30, 2019, NOAA and partners at the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the U.S. Geological Survey conducted a research expedition on NOAA Ship Ronald H. Brown to collect critical baseline information about deepwater habitats offshore the U.S. Mid- and South Atlantic coasts.
Features
Features provide a deeper dive into expedition-related topics.
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May 23, 2019
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May 8, 2019
The end has snuck up on us yet again. Somehow five days have elapsed since my last update, and we’re headed to the dock tomorrow afternoon. In those five days though, we’ve done quite a lot.
April 29, 2019
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With the end of the expedition in sight, Team DEEP SEARCH has been extremely busy spending our last full week at sea doing as much science as possible. After Monday’s mega-dive at Pamlico Canyon, we were back in the water no more than 5 hours later at Pea Island Seep.
April 24, 2019
Our dive at Pamlico Canyon was our longest yet of this expedition, clocking in at nearly 20 hours on the seafloor. The ROV began the dive at the bottom of the canyon (nearly 1,900 meters down) and spent most of the dive slowly climbing up from there, surveying the canyon’s walls and ledges.
April 23, 2019
When we send an ROV like Jason down into the ocean it not only provides us eyes on the seafloor with cameras but also arms with hydraulic manipulators. These manipulators provide a lot of utility to sample in different ways while on the seafloor.
April 22, 2019
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April 19, 2019
BOEM’s research is primarily use-inspired, meaning it is designed to fill information needs for the Bureau. Studies like DEEP SEARCH provide valuable baseline environmental information and contribute to our understanding of the environments in which we operate.
April 15, 2019
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April 14, 2019
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April 13, 2019
What can a bottle of water tell you? Well, if the water was collected from the deep sea, maybe a lot! We’re hoping that bottles of water collected from several sites during this cruise will give us insight into the dominant microbial processes, what food options the animals in the habitat have, and if it is possible to detect the presence of larger organisms like corals and fish from their environmental DNA (eDNA) in the water.
April 12, 2019
This morning, ROV Jason was successfully recovered after our first dive of DEEP SEARCH 2019. The Jason team had a smooth launch just after 9pm last night, and the ROV stayed in the water for over 12 hours exploring the deep-sea coral habitats of Richardson Hills.
April 11, 2019
In advance of DEEP SEARCH 2019’s first remotely operated vehicle dive today, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution has shared the following overview about ROV Jason.
April 10, 2019
Just after 1:30pm today, NOAA Ship Ronald H. Brown pulled away from the dock in Charleston, SC for the official start of DEEP SEARCH 2019! Departure came after four full days of mobilization.
April 9, 2019
Cold seeps create very interesting environments that provide resources and habitat for a wide variety of creatures. Bacteria and other microbes feed directly off of the gasses released (mostly methane and hydrogen sulfide), and animals like mussels and clams that have bacterial symbionts that use these chemicals also thrive at seep sites.
April 4, 2019
From April 9 to 30, 2019, NOAA and partners at the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the U.S. Geological Survey will conduct a research expedition on NOAA Ship Ronald H. Brown to collect critical baseline information about deepwater habitats offshore the U.S. Mid- and South Atlantic coasts.
April 4, 2019
From the tip of Miami to North Carolina, the deep seafloor is comprised of hundreds of miles of rugged peaks, ledges, and mounds, which are scoured and swept clean of sediment by the ever-present, powerful Gulf Stream current. Deep-sea corals thrive in this cold, dark, hostile environment, creating large complex structures that provide shelter, feeding, and nursery habitat to countless other invertebrates and fishes.
April 4, 2019
Carved into the shelf from North Carolina through Canada are 40 undersea canyons that may be 16 to 160 kilometers (10 to 100 miles) long, with some deeper than the Grand Canyon. The complex topography and geology in canyons provides many habitat types including steep walls, rocky outcrops, and ledges where sensitive deep-sea coral communities often live, as well as sedimented areas where additional fish and invertebrate species thrive.
April 4, 2019
Multimedia
The images and videos from this expedition add context and help bring the expedition to life. Click on a preview image below to view the full image/watch a video and get more information.
Education
Ocean Science for Educators provides the best of what the NOAA Ocean Exploration website has to offer to support educators in the classroom. Each theme page includes lessons, fact sheets, ocean facts, exploration notes, multimedia, and related past expeditions and projects. Below are the top education themes related to this expedition.
Meet the Exploration Team
Each team member’s path to this expedition is unique. Read their bios to find out what makes them ocean explorers.
Associate Professor, Temple University
Research Benthic Ecologist, U.S. Geological Survey
PhD Candidate, Temple University
PhD Candidate, Temple University
Research Assistant, Temple University
Research Geologist, U.S. Geological Survey
Resources & Contacts
Media Contacts
- Kaitlin Kovacs
United States Geological Survey
Email: KKovacs@usgs.gov - Rex Sanders
United States Geological Survey
Email: RSanders@usgs.gov - Marjorie Weisskohl
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
Email:
Marjorie.Weisskohl@boem.gov