Connectivity of Coral Ecosystems (CYCLE) in the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico

Past Expedition

Dates

April - May 2019

Location

Gulf of Mexico/Caribbean

Overview

This was the first year of a five-year study to investigate population connectivity for key coral, sponge, and fish species between shallow and mesophotic reefs of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary and its proposed expansion areas to the east. The project led by Lehigh University is funded by NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science and the Office of Ocean Exploration and Research in partnership with the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary.

Basket stars, feather stars, and corals colonizing the top of a carbonate outcrop at Alderdice Bank, 86 meters (282 feet) deep.

Mission Summary

Oceanographic fieldwork is always challenging. It can take months to prepare for a couple of weeks at sea. Once you set sail, oceanic and atmospheric conditions can unexpectedly change, equipment breaks and repairs must be done with what you have onboard, and supplies run out and you have to exercise your creativity. This is why one of the most important things when going out on a research cruise is assembling a great team of scientists, engineers, and crew to face and overcome these challenges. The first cruise of the CYCLE project was lucky to have one of those great teams.

June 10, 2019

Red snapper, Lutjanas campechanus, is one of two focal species for this project. Red snapper is a commercial species that is found throughout the Gulf of Mexico from 15-90 meters (50-300 feet) in depth. Image courtesy of Southeast Fisheries Science Center – Panama City and University of North Carolina Wilmington Undersea Vehicles Program.

Gone Fishing...

From May 17 to 26, if you are looking for me, I’ll be out fishing. The second cruise for this project of this field season, from May 17 to 26, will focus on collecting our two target species—red snapper and tomtate. The tomtate is a small fish that is in the middle of the food chain, whereas, the red snapper is a commercially fished species that is near the top of the food chain.

May 11, 2019

Shallow Coral Reef Communities in Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary

The Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico is comprised of stunning and unique continental shelf-edge coral reef habitats. The sanctuary contains the northernmost coral reefs in the continental United States. The closest shallow coral reefs are located in the Bay of Campeche, Mexico, approximately 650 kilometers (403 miles) to the south.

May 9, 2019

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An image of a mesophotic habitat in the Gulf of Mexico collected using the high-resolution camera on the Global Explorer remotely operated vehicle.

Using Maps to Find Suitable Habitats

Understanding what types of habitat a particular animal prefers (e.g., coral reefs or seagrass beds) can help scientists predict where an animal can be found. These predictions are often presented as a habitat suitability map. These maps show where an animal’s habitat might occur as a range from not suitable to highly suitable habitat.

May 7, 2019

Where Do Larvae Go?

Marine animals that live on the reefs and banks of the northwestern Gulf of Mexico have propagules that often move or disperse to other reefs and banks transported by ocean currents. In this log, learn how genetic and chemical analyses of marine animal samples collected on this expedition will be combined with models of ocean currents to better understand how the eggs, larvae, or juveniles of these animals move or are dispersed.

May 5, 2019

What Lives in Coral Habitats?

Both shallow and mesophotic coral ecosystems harbor a breathtaking array of species. Unfortunately, the majority of species that live in these communities hide among the nooks and crannies, making them extremely difficult to assess, without destructively sampling these fragile habitats. Autonomous reef monitoring structures or ARMS are designed to overcome this challenge. ARMS are standardized stacked layers of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) plates that mimic the structural complexity of reefs. Think of them as underwater condominiums or pre-fabricated homes that can be used as biodiversity barometers to compare one place to another or change to an ecosystem through time.

May 3, 2019

The Global Explorer remotely operated vehicle collecting sediment samples at Alderdice bank, 63 meters (207 feet) deep, using a push core. The collected samples will eventually undergo isotopic analyses in the lab.

Understanding Connectivity Through Chemical Analyses

As the saying goes, “you are what you eat!” Luckily, this is also true for marine life in coral ecosystems. By tracking the diet of animals in and around the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, we can understand what the animals have eaten and where they have traveled to obtain their food. In turn, this information helps resource managers understand habitat use and food web connections between different marine animals.

May 1, 2019

Lehigh University postdoctoral researcher, Matt Galaska, preserving coral tissue. Image courtesy of Emma Saso.

Preserving Coral Samples for Genetic Analyses

This log discusses how the team preserves the coral samples collected with the Global Explorer remotely operated vehicle. These samples will eventually be used to look at the genetic connectivity for our target species between the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary and the reefs and banks to its east.

April 29, 2019

ROV Global Explorer being deployed from the R/V Pelican. Image courtesy of Jennie McClain.

Sampling with the Global Explorer Remotely Operated Vehicle

Despite being a marine chemist who studies seafloor environments, Jill McDermott has yet to use her SCUBA skills at work. Who then, is the great diver involved? The technologies with which she works. On this cruise, the team is using the remotely operated vehicle Global Explorer to sample animals, including corals and sponges, which serve as local biodiversity hotspots and habitats for other organisms within the northwestern Gulf of Mexico.

April 27, 2019

Figure 3. Scientists collecting the sea fan, Swiftia exserta, with a remotely operated vehicle. Image Credit: Santiago Herrera and Oceaneering International

Mission Plan

This is the first year of a five-year study to investigate connectivity of key coral, sponge, and fish species between shallow and mesophotic coral ecosystems of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary and its proposed expansion areas to the east.

April 22, 2019

The coral reefs of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary have over 50% coral cover, dominated by massive star and brain corals. This panoramic image was taken on the flanks of the East Flower Garden Bank where coral cover is upwards of 80%. The corals here grow in a more flattened form to capture as much light as possible to maximize photosynthesis by their symbiotic algae, which live in the tissues of the coral animals. Image credit: FGBNMS/Hickerson

Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary Expansion

The Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary is home to spectacular coral reefs – with massive boulder and brain corals dominating the landscape, as far as a diver can see. The sanctuary is currently proposing to expand the sanctuary to include additional reefs and banks to the east of the current sanctuary boundaries.

April 22, 2019

Figure 2. The sea fan, Hypnogorgia pendula, one of our focal species, is found throughout the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico. Pictured at Bouma Bank, 79 m. Image Credit: Santiago Herrera and NOAA Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary/University of North Carolina Wilmington-Undersea Vehicles Program

Project Overview

We are studying the coral ecosystems found on the reefs and banks to the east of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary to determine their potential connectivity to the reefs of the sanctuary and other coral ecosystems further afield in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean. These reefs and banks are part of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary’s proposed expansion and understanding how they may or may not be connected to each other and the current sanctuary will help resource managers better protect, restore, and conserve these resources.

April 22, 2019

Invasive lionfish amid a Hypnogorgia octocoral garden, 83 m (272 ft) deep at Elvers Bank. Image courtesy of Santiago Herrera and Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary/University of North Carolina Wilmington’s Undersea Vehicles Program.

Connectivity of Coral Ecosystems in the Gulf of Mexico

Our project aims to better understand the processes that shape connectivity of corals and associated organisms throughout these areas of the northwestern Gulf of Mexico, with an overarching goal of helping to guide management decisions. In particular, we are examining population and ecosystem connectivity between shallow and mesophotic coral habitats (vertical connectivity) and among coral habitats in mesophotic depths (horizontal connectivity).

April 22, 2019

Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems

The term “coral” conjures up visions of warm, tropical waters, or the cold dark depths of the ocean where not a ray of sunlight penetrates. Found between these two visions is a relatively unknown and poorly understood depth realm referred to as the mesophotic zone – ‘meso’ for middle and ‘photic’ for light.

April 22, 2019