Joshua Voss, PhD | Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute | Florida Atlantic University | 5600 US 1 North, Fort Pierce, FL 34946 | Lab Phone: 772-242-2393
Coral Reef Health and Ecology Lab
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Notes from the Field: Harbor Branch-FAU & Project Baseline Oculina Research Cruise

6/26/2015

 
This post written by Michael Studivan.

On June 24, the Baseline Explorer departed from Harbor Branch for a destination approximately seven miles offshore of Stuart, Florida. The science team was led by project PIs Joshua Voss and Shirley Pomponi (HBOI-FAU), and Voss lab students Michael and Jennifer. The Baseline Explorer’s target location was based on research conducted by Harbor Branch PI John Reed in the 1980s, where he documented Oculina reefs in 200-300ft of water off the East coast of Florida. Oculina varicosa is a slow growing, nonphotosynthetic coral that forms deep reefs, providing critical habitat for commercially important fish and invertebrate species. The Oculina reefs are found as far south as Jupiter, Florida and stretch all the way up to North Carolina. Reed’s research on these extremely long-lived and important reef builders has led to the creation of an Oculina Habitat Area of Particular Concern (HAPC), where bottom trawling is not allowed. Our target location for this cruise was just south of the HAPC boundaries; the limitation being that coordinates for the reefs were based in a much less accurate positioning system available in the 1980s. Our objectives were threefold: 1) to develop collaborative at-sea capabilities between Harbor Branch-FAU and Project Baseline, 2) to locate and document the Oculina reefs, and 3) to assess any damage to the reef, such as that caused by trawling.

The Baseline Explorer’s tech diving team, led by Dr. Todd Kincaid (Project Baseline, Global Underwater Explorers), dove first to scout the location, but found no signs of the reef. At the same time, however, the team did not see any obvious signs of trawling damage that would indicate a reef was once present and was now destroyed. On both June 25 and 26, Josh dove in one of the Baseline Explorer’s Triton submersibles rated to 300m with pilot Robert Carmichael (Project Baseline, Brownie’s Global Logistics). Although the Oculina fields reported decades before were once again not observed, they located a vast field of the black coral Stichopathes over a reef habitat likely comprised of ancient compressed Oculina skeletons. Throughout the dives, although they found evidence of human debris on the reef, the team also discovered that the reef is providing habitat for deepwater reef fish, sea bass, and snowy grouper. The tech divers were also able to collect samples of three black coral species and several sponges for morphometric and genetic analyses.

The use of manned submersibles rather than remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) has both advantages and disadvantages. Unlike ROVs, the manned submersible was not attached to the ship via a communications tether. This allows more freedom for movement and maneuverability with the sub, but also limits the communications capabilities between the sub and the surface. Specifically, the sub cannot transmit images or video in real time to the surface support team, as can be done with an ROV. They also experienced the strong currents of the Gulfstream, which made accurately hitting a target site and coordinating meet ups between the sub and tech team much more difficult.

Despite the challenges associated with research at sea, the collaborative effort between Harbor Branch Oceanographic at Florida Atlantic University and Project Baseline was a success and we look forward to future opportunities to combine the Baseline Explorer’s unique tools and capabilities with more research of deep reefs off the coast of Florida and beyond.

The cruise was covered by media teams from several parties, including FAU, Project Baseline, TCPalm (see below), CBS12, and WPTV5. Please click here for our full Flickr album and see the embedded video above for the highlights of the sub dives.

Harbor Branch partners with Global Underwater Explorers for research aboard the Baseline Explorer

6/23/2015

 
This post written by Michael Studivan.

This week Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University welcomes the 146 foot Baseline Explorer to continue collaborative research and exploration between HBOI-FAU and Global Underwater Explorers (GUE).  GUE is a nonprofit organization founded by Dr. Todd Kincaid, Jarrod Jablonski, and Robert Carmichael that is dedicated to the exploration and conservation of the underwater world.  In 2009, GUE established Project Baseline, a grassroots, environmental conservation initiative that has empowered citizens and divers to observe and record change within the world’s aquatic environments. 

Harbor Branch researchers, including Dr. Voss, Dr. Shirley Pomponi, Michael, Jennifer, and Alycia will partner with GUE during a research cruise this week to explore Oculina reefs lying 7 miles offshore from St. Lucie Inlet, Florida.  Building on extensive research by HBOI's John Reed, the mission will utilize the Baseline Explorer's two submersibles and an advanced technical dive team from GUE to observe and document the status of these currently unprotected Oculina populations.  The dive teams will attempt to collect coral samples to aid in our assessments of coral health and ecological connectivity.   We will also be using our new Inspire quadcopter to capture footage of submersible and tech diving operations during the mission.  We look forward to a productive cruise with GUE and Project Baseline, and toward expanding the collaborative research, exploration, and outreach opportunities between HBOI-FAU and GUE in the future!

More about Baseline Explorer:
Baseline Explorer is a private research vessel, owned and operated by Brownies Global Logistics since the start of 2015. The ship is 146’ long with a 36’ beam and is equipped with two manned submersibles, a recompression chamber, and gas compressors to support advanced diving operations to depths of 1,000’. To date, Brownies Global Logistics as has supported marine research by teaming with three universities (including FAU-Harbor Branch) in Florida, the Azores, and Portugal. For more information, visit
http://globalsubdive.com/docs/BaselineExplorerSpecSheet.pdf

Flower Gardens technical diving cruise postponed

6/18/2015

 
Due to unforeseen logistical challenges, the Voss lab had to postpone our technical diving cruise to the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary from late June to October. The objectives of this cruise are to continue sampling of mesophotic Montastraea cavernosa for population genetics analyses and zooxanthellae community profiling, as well as start a reciprocal transplant experiment for Michael Studivan's dissertation. The ROV cruise to explore additional coral banks in the proposed sanctuary expansion plan will still be conducted from July 4-11.

Voss Lab seeks a new Lab Technician 

6/10/2015

 
The Robertson Coral Reef Program at Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute seeks a dynamic and motivated laboratory research technician to join our team.  The successful candidate will participate in diverse research areas including ocean exploration, coral reef ecology, coral-algal symbiosis, coral microbiology, and molecular ecology led by Dr. Joshua Voss. Applications are sought from individuals with strong academic backgrounds and excellent research experience in coral reef biology and ecology, marine molecular ecology, or similar marine science disciplines.  Review of applications will begin June 26, 2015 and the position will remain open until filled.  The position is guaranteed for one year with renewal encouraged and based on performance.  For additional details of the position and to submit an application, please visit https://jobs.fau.edu and reference position 979490. For additional information about Harbor Branch visit www.fau.edu/hboi.

New quadcopter!

6/10/2015

 
This post written by Michael Studivan.

As part of an internal grant from HBOI-FAU, the Voss lab has acquired a second quadcopter to continue our use of aerial technology to aid in marine science and outreach. This grant covered the purchase of a second quadcopter and Michael Studivan's summer RA to pilot the quadcopter and produce outreach videos for public use.

The new quadcopter is also made by DJI like our previous model, but unlike the Phantom 2, the Inspire comes with many added features that will be of use in our lab operations. Specifically, the Inspire is controlled by two remotes, one as a dedicated pilot and the second for complete control of the camera (pitch, yaw, exposure, speed) and an uninterrupted 360 degree view. The camera is also an improved model and can shoot video in full 4K resolution without any lens distortion. Lastly, the Inspire has better signal range and GPS functionality to greatly expand our range of operations both on land and at sea.

Please see our Flickr album for photos and our Youtube page for videos from the initial flights!
Picture

Summer interns

6/1/2015

 
The Voss lab took on two interns this summer, both of whom are working on the St. Lucie Reef Project.

Alaina Weinheimer is a rising senior at Pennsylvania State University, majoring in Biology and minoring in Microbiology and Marine Science. This summer, she is comparing mucus bacterial communities of Montastraea cavernosa colonies from St. Lucie Reef. These same colonies have been monitored regularly since 2010, and comparison among colonies and over time may elucidate coral responses to  freshwater discharge from Lake Okeechobee. Coral mucus bacteria serve several functions, such as defending the coral against pathogens and cycling nutrients, therefore determining how freshwater discharge impacts bacterial communities  may aid in understanding local coral health. Alaina's internship is funded by Dr. Voss' Florida Sea Grant.


Nancy Sealover is an undergraduate honors student at University of Maryland, College Park. She is genotyping Montastraea cavernosa samples from St. Lucie Reef and West Palm Beach using nine microsatellite markers. The data generated from her project will contribute to Alycia's objective to identify stress-resistant coral genotypes from local reefs. Nancy's internship is graciously funded by the Link Foundation through Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute. 

Stay tuned for their internship presentations at the end of the summer!

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