PISCES Deep Coral Cruise 2010 - Virtual Tours

Scientists from NOAA Grays Reef National Marine Sanctuary, NOAA Fisheries Service, NOAA Center for Coastal Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research, NOAA Hollings Marine Laboratory, the University of Alabamas Department of Geological Sciences , and the College of Charlestons Grice Marine Laboratory participated in a seven-day (April 8-14, 2010) research cruise aboard the NOAA Ship PISCES to investigate deep-water rocky reefs and associated sponges and corals off the coast of Georgia and South Carolina. These corals build up complex high-relief mounds in deep water (350-900 m) and consist of living, dead and fossil corals and coral rubble that provide important habitat and feeding grounds for a diversity of marine life including wreckfish, golden crab and royal red shrimp. Underwater video and high-resolution still photographs were collected using the Southwest Fisheries Science Centers remotely operated vehicle (or ROV). Several of these photos are being used to describe a new species of fishes, while others are being used to improve the description of species of fishes and invertebrates that are rarely observed in the wild.

NMFS

SWFSC