The NOAA Cooperative Institute for Ocean Exploration, Research, and Technology (CIOERT), headquartered at FAU Harbor Branch, is leading a cooperative international research cruise from May 15 - June 13 to explore and characterize the mesophotic coral ecosystems around Cuba. Over 30 days, the UM ship RV F.G. Walton Smith will circumnavigate the island, conducting daily ROV dives, sampling mesophotic corals, sponges, and algae, and collecting water samples.
Researchers from FAU Harbor Branch, NOAA Fisheries, and Cuban collaborators from the Centro Nacional de Áreas Protegidas (CNAP), Centro de Investigaciones Marinas, Univ. de la Habana (CIM-UH), Instituto de Ciencias del Mar (ICIMAR), and National Cuba Aquarium (ANC) will be participating in the cruise over two legs. PhD student Michael Studivan will be representing the Voss lab on Leg 1, while Dr. Joshua Voss will be on Leg 2 as the coral lead. Other FAU Harbor Branch scientists on the cruise are Chief Scientist John Reed, Dr. Dennis Hanisak, Stephanie Farrington, and Dr. Mingshun Jiang.
The ultimate goals of this cruise are to examine the extent and health of Cuban mesophotic reefs and to determine the physical, ecological, and genetic connectivity among Cuban, US, and Caribbean reefs. To learn more about the mission background, research plan, and to follow updates from the cruise, please visit the NOAA OER website dedicated to the expedition. Additionally, internet access permitting, we will tweet throughout the cruise from @VossLaboratory and @cioert.
Researchers from FAU Harbor Branch, NOAA Fisheries, and Cuban collaborators from the Centro Nacional de Áreas Protegidas (CNAP), Centro de Investigaciones Marinas, Univ. de la Habana (CIM-UH), Instituto de Ciencias del Mar (ICIMAR), and National Cuba Aquarium (ANC) will be participating in the cruise over two legs. PhD student Michael Studivan will be representing the Voss lab on Leg 1, while Dr. Joshua Voss will be on Leg 2 as the coral lead. Other FAU Harbor Branch scientists on the cruise are Chief Scientist John Reed, Dr. Dennis Hanisak, Stephanie Farrington, and Dr. Mingshun Jiang.
The ultimate goals of this cruise are to examine the extent and health of Cuban mesophotic reefs and to determine the physical, ecological, and genetic connectivity among Cuban, US, and Caribbean reefs. To learn more about the mission background, research plan, and to follow updates from the cruise, please visit the NOAA OER website dedicated to the expedition. Additionally, internet access permitting, we will tweet throughout the cruise from @VossLaboratory and @cioert.
