NANCY FOSTER RESEARCH CRUISE 2008
Benthic Assemblages in the Twilight Zone 
(BATZ) Expedition
August 25-September 2, 2008
aboard the NOAA Ship Nancy Foster
This EXPEDITION was CANCELLED due to mechanical difficulties and the threat of Hurricane Gustav in the Gulf. No matter how much planning we do, nature and machines often have other ideas!
Background
Like many marine protected areas around the world, most of the seafloor in the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary (FGBNMS) is deeper than recreational and scientific diving limits (50 m). As a result, the shallow reef cap is relatively well studied, but most of the benthic habitat in the FGBNMS is not well understood.
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Deepwater habitat and fishes at FGBNMS.
Photo: NURC-UNCW/FGBNMS |
Remotely operated vehicle (ROV) surveys since 2001 have shown that hard bottom features 100 m deep are characterized by antipatharians (black corals) and gorgonians (sea fans). These provide important habitat for associated species of fish, crustaceans, echinoderms, and mollusks. FGBNMS and Harte Research Institute (HRI) scientists will focus research efforts on these areas during this expedition.
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Area of Operation
Northwestern Gulf of Mexico: East and West Flower Garden Banks, Stetson Bank, McGrail Bank, Geyer Bank, Elvers Bank, Coffee Lump
Expedition Objectives
At Stetson Bank, the expedition will revisit the area known as Stetson Ring, which is currently outside sanctuary boundaries but under consideration for boundary expansion. There, scientists will
- Conduct ROV surveys of deepwater corals and gorgonians
- Assess the feasibility of removing marine debris (e.g. discarded shrimping nets) in future technical diving expeditions
Another area under consideration for boundary expansion under the FGBNMS Management Plan Review is McGrail Bank. There, scientists hope to more thoroughly explore deep reefs dominated by large colonies of blushing star coral (Stephanocoenia intersepta).
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Deep coral reef at McGrail Bank in the Northwestern Gulf of Mexico.
Photo: NURC-UNCW/FGBNMS |
However, the overarching goal of the BATZ expedition is to characterize benthic assemblages in the mesophotic or “Twilight” zone (50-200 m) of FGBNMS and surrounding banks. As part of this, HRI scientists plan to
- Examine sea fan diversity and abundance in relation to habitat characteristics
- Study the reproductive and spatial ecology of galatheoid crabs and fish
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| Once thought to be rare, slit shells are seldom photographed alive in their natural habitat. Photo:J. Janko, (c) J.W. Tunnell |
- Deploy a unique time-lapse, panoramic camera to document life underwater over 24-hour periods
- Identifiy and photograph mollusks, especially the elusive slit shell (Entemnotrochus adansonianus)
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| Doug Weaver deploying the time-lapse panoramic camera on the reef cap at East Flower Garden Bank near Buoy 5 during a previous expedition. Photo: Kevin Buch |
Another important aspect of this cruise is the timing of the season. The expedition will take place at the tail end of the annual mass coral spawning event in the sanctuary. This is a fairly well-documented phenomenon. Now, scientific divers are finding barrel sponges spawning in deepwater. How deeply does this phenomenon occur? To answer these and other questions, scientists on this cruise will also
- Document deepwater spawning of barrel sponges (Xestospongia sp.)
- Examine the reproductive condition of deepwater gorgonians and crabs
- Conduct Marbled Grouper (Dermatolepis inermis) spawning aggregation surveys
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| Lance Horn coordinates use of the Phanton S2 ROV for NURC/UNCW. Photo:FGBNMS |
Research Tools
Considerable effort will be dedicated to sample collection, debris surveys, and photo-documentation. The primary research tool for these efforts is the National Undersea Research Center’s Phantom S2 ROV, a small tethered unit equipped with a manipulator arm, temperature logger, still camera, and video camera. The Phantom S2 is capable of diving to 300 meters.
Multibeam, sidescan sonar will be used to conduct high-resolution mapping surveys.
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