As part of our partnership with NOAA through the Cooperative Institute for Ocean Exploration, Research, and Technology based at FAU Harbor Branch, on May 3-7, 2016 our lab embarked on our 10th research cruise in the NW Gulf of Mexico aboard the RV Manta. In addition to field operations within the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary as part of our ongoing reciprocal transplant experiment (see Michael's new post), we also traveled to McGrail and Bright Banks with two major research objectives. First, both McGrail and Bright Banks are being proposed for additional protection under the Sanctuary's Expansion Plan. Therefore, additional images, video, mapping, and data to characterize these sites can help to not only determine the extent of coral reef resources available, but also to support the proposed expansions plans. Second, we are interested in broadly assessing ecological connectivity at multiple spatial scales in order to understand the underlying biological processes that structure communities and to provide data that supports effective management strategies. The coral samples collected during our technical dives and previous ROV missions are being used to determine ecological connectivity using a suite of molecular techniques. Similarly, comparisons among these corals can provide information on the relative physiological status of corals over time from different banks and at different depths.
Some of the incredible images from the cruise are available for viewing and downloads on our lab's Flickr page and a short video is also posted our Youtube page. Thank you again to Jeff Beal from Florida FWC, Robbie Christian from RSMAS, Jake Emmert and Rachel Susen from the Moody Gardens Aquarium, the crew of the Manta, and all of our collaborators at the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, Emma Hickerson, Ryan Eckert, John Embesi, G.P. Schmahl, Marissa Nuttall, Dustin Picard, and more. Many thanks also to the entire Voss lab team whose outstanding efforts made this cruise such a success. We look forward to returning on our next research cruise in July when we will continue our time series sampling and expand our exploration and characterization of these unique and amazing coral reef ecosystems.
JDV
Some of the incredible images from the cruise are available for viewing and downloads on our lab's Flickr page and a short video is also posted our Youtube page. Thank you again to Jeff Beal from Florida FWC, Robbie Christian from RSMAS, Jake Emmert and Rachel Susen from the Moody Gardens Aquarium, the crew of the Manta, and all of our collaborators at the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, Emma Hickerson, Ryan Eckert, John Embesi, G.P. Schmahl, Marissa Nuttall, Dustin Picard, and more. Many thanks also to the entire Voss lab team whose outstanding efforts made this cruise such a success. We look forward to returning on our next research cruise in July when we will continue our time series sampling and expand our exploration and characterization of these unique and amazing coral reef ecosystems.
JDV
RSS Feed
