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From Aggregations to Individuals: Exploring Migrating Deep-Sea Scattering Layers Through Multiscale-Multimode Technologies in the Gulf of Mexico

Past Expedition

Dates

July 26 to August 1, 2021

Location

Gulf of Mexico/Caribbean

Vessel

R/V Point Sur

Overview

From July 26 to August 1, 2021, a multi-institutional science team set sail aboard the R/V Point Sur from Gulfport, Mississippi and headed towards DeSoto Canyon. The objectives of this mission, funded by NOAA Ocean Exploration, were to deploy two different autonomous sensor platforms developed as part of this project: National Geographic Society’s Driftcam and the Teledyne Webb Research Slocum glider. During this cruise we focused on areas that have been studied extensively during the DEEPEND|RESTORE program in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM).

Expedition Summary

A one-week cruise aboard the R/V Point Sur was conducted to deploy two different autonomous sensor platforms developed as part of this project to explore the sound scattering layers of the Gulf of Mexico.

September 3, 2021

A Day in the Life of an Autonomous Glider

One of the goals of this expedition is to deploy an autonomous glider that transmits data via Iridium satellite during the course of a mission, while the glider is at the ocean’s surface.

August 4, 2021

Assembling and Managing a Multidisciplinary, Multi-Institutional Team

Impactful science often comes from collaborative efforts, when experts from different disciplines assemble to provide unique perspectives and form new ideas.

August 4, 2021

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Finding “Dory” the Driftcam

Releasing tens of thousands of dollars of instrumentation into the ocean is tricky — you may not get it back once it’s in the water.

August 2, 2021

Adding Acoustic Intelligence to an Autonomous Underwater Glider

The increased use of ocean robots, such as autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), is expanding the resolution, range, and duration of physical and biological measurements collected throughout the water column in the world’s ocean.

July 30, 2021

Echogram illustrating the ascending and descending phases of the diel migrations (warmer colors) through the water column. The downward and upward migration activity occurs during dawn and dusk periods. The color scale represents the strength of the sound that is reflected by the organisms in the water column from the ship-based sonar. Cooler colors show less sound reflected and warmer colors show more sound reflected, indicating the presence and density of animals.

Observing Life in the Deep Scattering Layers of the Pelagic Realm

The pelagic habitat contains a diverse and highly specialized fauna, with adaptations becoming more and more “bizarre” as one goes deeper into the water column.

July 28, 2021

Ship-based Echosounder: The First Reconnaissance Tool for Exploring the Deep Scattering Layers

Echosounders have been employed in fisheries and ocean research for decades to detect fish, plankton, and features both on the seabed and in the water column.

July 28, 2021

The Second Star Robotics and National Geographic team working on the Driftcam.

The View From Inside the Scattering Layer

The National Geographic Society Driftcam is an untethered mid-water imaging system, built to collect detailed information about ocean animals via high-resolution video, at depths as deep as 700 meters (2,297 feet).

July 28, 2021

Figure 1. Acoustic backscatter data at 18kHz (top) and 38 kHz (bottom) shows the vertical and horizontal distribution of biological scatterers associated with the shelf break in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Color scale represents acoustic scattering intensity (in dB re 1 m-1).

Expedition Plan

The oceanic rim ecosystem, including waters of the outer continental shelf, is arguably the least-known marine habitat in the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

July 27, 2021