The gorgonian Iridigorgia pourtalesii and an associated shrimp at 1,410 meters (4,626 feet) in Green Canyon 852. Click image for larger view and image credit.
Lophelia II 2008: Deep-water Coral Expedition
Reefs, Rigs, and Wrecks
September 20 - October 2, 2008
This is the first cruise of a four-year project funded by the U.S. Mineral Management Service (MMS) and the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research (OER) to explore new deepwater coral communities at both natural and man-made sites. The goal of this Lophelia II project is to discover new coral sites in the deep Gulf of Mexico and to characterize them in terms of coral habitat characteristics, biology, ecology, and genetic connectivity. The diverse group of experienced investigators on this project will use a combination of methods — remote sensing, photographic sampling, quantitative community collections, live coral manipulative experiments, geologic characterization, oceanographic measurements, and genetic analyses — to further our understanding of cold-water corals and the communities associated with them.
This is the first year of the project and the second leg of this cruise investigating a series of previously unexplored sites along the northern Gulf of Mexico between 300 and 1,000 meters (m) depth. The initial phase of this project has consisted of poring over the extensive bathymetric and three-dimensional seismic data held by MMS to select the sites we will be visiting. Although past surveys have generated a series of good maps of these sites, we will be the "first eye" on the bottom at almost all of our sites.
The first leg of this year’s cruise examined ship wrecks and the corals colonizing them. During this second leg, we will be using the NOAA ship Nancy Foster and the Seaeye Falcon remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to scout out these new sites, run large-scale photographic surveys, and make collections of a few key species. In the spring we plan to mount a second expedition to explore additional new sites, many in waters deeper than 1,000 m. In the second and third years of the project we will also conduct additional mapping surveys and examinations of coral colonization on oil rigs. The third and fourth cruises will be larger interdisciplinary expeditions. Much of the intensive physical and photographic sampling of the coral species and associated communities will take place during the last two cruises.
Updates & Logs
Click images or links below for detailed mission logs and updates.
October 1 The NOAA ship Nancy Foster plays host to an inquisitive and eager group of scientists for 14 days, 10 dives, 6 collections — and roughly 150 pots of coffee.
September 30 Photos gathered on the mission reveal the beauty and mystery found deep in the Gulf of Mexico.
September 29 Find out why one of the most important pieces of equipment for scientists on an expedition is the remotely operated vehicle (ROV).
September 28 Six species of catsharks are found in the Gulf of Mexico, inhabiting ranges from 50 to 1,850 m depth. They are oviparous, meaning they lay eggs. 
Includes Video.
September 27 Galatheoids, or squat lobsters, are found throughout the world from shallow water to deep water, thousands of meters below the surface. There are over 60 species of galatheoids in the Gulf of Mexico.
September 26 The northern Gulf of Mexico harbors many reef-fish habitats. These range from the sandstone reefs of the mid-shelf banks, to the coral reefs of Flower Garden Banks, and the carbonate boulders of the continental slope.
Includes Videos.
September 25 Scientist hope that connectivity-temperature-depth (CTD) data, along with biological observations from dives, will help them discover why corals are abundant or absent in parts of the Gulf of Mexico.
September 24 The ocean absorbs about 20 to 30 percent of the CO2 produced by humans. Learn how this fundamental chemical dynamic impacts coral survival.
September 23 Scientists explore a large sea-floor structure supported by a shallow feature, called a "salt diapir." This site appears to be hardground, showing promise for coral habitat and an ROV dive.
September 22 Researchers discover a large black coral providing habitat for fish and invertebrates at 300 m depth.
September 21 To map the sea floor, ocean scientists bounce a beam of sound waves off the ocean bottom through a technique called "echo sounding."
September 20 With their sea legs still shaky, the newest travelers spend much of the day fighting off seasickness. But they still participated in scientific meetings and abandon-ship safety drills.
Leg 1 Summary During the first leg of this year’s project, a team of archaeologists and biologists investigated eight shipwreck sites in the Gulf of Mexico.
Deep Sea News
, an account of the adventures of Peter Etnoyer, a doctoral fellow at Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi.
