DISCOVRE: Diversity, Systematics and Connectivity of Vulnerable Reef Ecosystems Active
June is Oceans Month!
USGS is paving the way for exploration and scientific discovery in the largest ecosystem on our planet: the deep sea.
DEEP SEARCH: The Final Leg
USGS scientists mapped and collected data from deep-sea environments off the U.S. Southeastern coast
Deep-Sea EXPRESS
USGS scientists join multi-agency expedition to study deep-sea reefs and associated habitats off the U.S. West Coast
Deep Sea Discovery
USGS joins partners in discovery of 85-mile-long coral reef off the coast of South Carolina
DISCOVRE (DIversity, Systematics and COnnectivity of Vulnerable Reef Ecosystems) is an integrated, multidisciplinary, international effort investigating the unique and fragile deep-sea coral environments from the microscopic level to the ecosystem level.
Deep-Sea Coral Resources
Check out the links below for more information on deep-sea corals.
The Deep Sea
The deep sea refers to anything below 200 m depth in the ocean; beyond this depth, little to no sunlight reaches, temperatures drop, and pressure increases. Yet, life persists. Diverse environments, such as trenches, canyons, volcanoes, and seamounts, scattered over the seafloor are home to a diversity of fishes, crustaceans, anemones, sea stars, and corals.
Deep-sea corals are as colorful and diverse as their shallow-water counterparts, however, because of the lack of sunlight, deepwater corals obtain energy by using their tentacles to capture prey rather than through photosynthesis. Deep-sea coral reefs provide food and shelter for marine life, including commercially and recreationally important species, and play a critical role in the aquatic food web.
To better understand these little explored yet vital deep-sea coral reef ecosystems, USGS scientists from around the Nation contribute their expertise to the DISCOVRE effort. The multi-disciplinary approach examines components of microbiology, population genetics, paleoecology, food webs, taxonomy, community ecology, physical oceanography, seafloor characteristics, and submarine hazards. DISCOVRE relies on a network of partners from around the country and world, including the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and academic institutions. Using innovative tools and technologies, USGS scientists implement a multi-faceted research program that weaves together expertise in a variety of disciplines to investigate deepwater reefs.
Benthic Ecology
Benthic ecology is the term scientists use to describe the study of the animals living in or on the bottom of a water body. As part of the DISCOVRE project, the Benthic Ecology Group conducts research to understand community structure, biodiversity, trophic structure, and habitat connectivity of marine benthic ecosystems. The work involves examining the animals living in and on the seafloor in a variety of natural and artificial marine habitats:
- deep-sea and shallow-water corals,
- chemosynthetic seeps,
- shipwrecks,
- marine canyons, and
- wetland communities.
Marine Geology and Geophysics
Geology and geophysics refer to the study of physical structure and associated processes occurring on the planet. The USGS marine geology and geophysics team maps seafloor morphology and images the shallow sub-seafloor structure of the canyons, plateaus, and other components of the deep-sea landscape to better understand the processes that form and shape these features. Sampling sediment and rocks allows scientists to ground truth geophysical and visual observations, while providing valuable information about the composition and age of these underwater geologic environments.
Microbial Ecology
Microbial ecology is the study of microbes (bacteria, archaea, fungi, viruses), how they interact with each other, their host (if they are living on/in a plant or animal), and their environment.
Microbes are responsible for important ecosystem services, including biogeochemical cycling, nutrient availability, and structuring ecosystems by providing settlement cues to some invertebrates. Microbial associates have been shown to be key players in coral biology, serving functions such as fixing nitrogen, chelating iron, cycling waste products, and producing antibiotics to keep unwanted microbes from infecting the coral.
USGS identifies, characterizes, and enumerates environmental microbial communities, which are critical components of healthy marine ecosystems such as coral reefs, chemosynthetic seeps, and submarine canyons, with focus on coral microbiomes (both shallow and deep-sea), ecosystem metagenomics, and biodiversity.
Characterizing the microbial communities associated with deep-sea corals in these environments will increase the knowledge of the biodiversity in these ecosystems and provide insight into the variability or uniqueness of the corals between deep-sea environments.
Paleoclimatology
Paleoclimatology is the study of past climates using evidence found in a variety of the Earth's surfaces. USGS scientists are using long-lived black corals as archives to determine the climate and ocean chemistry over hundreds to thousands of years. Deep-sea corals are extremely useful in determining past climates, and recent developments in coral sampling techniques, as well as the ability to study corals in a wide variety of geographic areas, has increased the value of using deep-sea corals for climate change studies. Coral skeletons have rings, similar to trees, that help scientists determine environmental cycles and ocean variability.
Population Genetics
Population genetics is the study of genetic variation within and between populations. Understanding how the biodiversity of corals and other invertebrates is distributed throughout the deep-sea environment can help guide management of sensitive species, especially in areas of interest to oil and gas exploration. USGS uses genetic tools to characterize biodiversity and local and regional patterns of genetic connectivity among deep-sea coral habitats.
For more information:
CSA Ocean Sciences Inc. Ross S, Brooke S, Baird E, Coykendall E, Davies A, Demopoulos A, France S, Kellogg C, Mather R, Mienis F, Morrison C, Prouty N, Roark B, Robertson C. 2017. Exploration and Research of Mid-Atlantic Deepwater Hard Bottom Habitats and Shipwrecks with Emphasis on Canyons and Coral Communities: Atlantic Deepwater Canyons Study. Draft Report. Sterling (VA): U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Atlantic OCS Region. OCS Study BOEM 2017-060. 1,000 p. + apps.
Below are science projects associated with DISCOVRE.
Below are publications associated with this project.
Seafloor fluid seeps on Kimki Ridge, offshore southern California: Links to active strike-slip faulting
Food-web dynamics and isotopic niches in deep-sea communities residing in a submarine canyon and on the adjacent open slopes
USGS microbiome research
Deep-sea coral research and technology program: Alaska deep-sea coral and sponge initiative final report
Trophic structure of mesopelagic fishes in the Gulf of Mexico revealed by gut content and stable isotope analyses
Seasonal variability in particulate matter source and composition to the depositional zone of Baltimore Canyon, U.S. Mid-Atlantic Bight
Biogeographic comparison of Lophelia-associated bacterial communities in the Western Atlantic reveals conserved core microbiome
Demersal fish assemblages on seamounts and other rugged features in the northeastern Caribbean
Food-web structure in canyon and slope-associated fauna revealed by stable isotopes
Impacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on deep-sea coral-associated sediment communities
Bacterial community diversity of the deep-sea octocoral Paramuricea placomus
A phylogenetic perspective on diversity of Galatheoidea (Munida, Munidopsis) from cold-water coral and cold seep communities in the western North Atlantic Ocean
Below are news stories associated with this project.
Below are partners associated with this project.
- Overview
DISCOVRE (DIversity, Systematics and COnnectivity of Vulnerable Reef Ecosystems) is an integrated, multidisciplinary, international effort investigating the unique and fragile deep-sea coral environments from the microscopic level to the ecosystem level.
Deep-Sea Coral ResourcesCheck out the links below for more information on deep-sea corals.
The Deep Sea
The deep sea refers to anything below 200 m depth in the ocean; beyond this depth, little to no sunlight reaches, temperatures drop, and pressure increases. Yet, life persists. Diverse environments, such as trenches, canyons, volcanoes, and seamounts, scattered over the seafloor are home to a diversity of fishes, crustaceans, anemones, sea stars, and corals.
Deep-sea corals are as colorful and diverse as their shallow-water counterparts, however, because of the lack of sunlight, deepwater corals obtain energy by using their tentacles to capture prey rather than through photosynthesis. Deep-sea coral reefs provide food and shelter for marine life, including commercially and recreationally important species, and play a critical role in the aquatic food web.
To better understand these little explored yet vital deep-sea coral reef ecosystems, USGS scientists from around the Nation contribute their expertise to the DISCOVRE effort. The multi-disciplinary approach examines components of microbiology, population genetics, paleoecology, food webs, taxonomy, community ecology, physical oceanography, seafloor characteristics, and submarine hazards. DISCOVRE relies on a network of partners from around the country and world, including the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and academic institutions. Using innovative tools and technologies, USGS scientists implement a multi-faceted research program that weaves together expertise in a variety of disciplines to investigate deepwater reefs.
Benthic Ecology
Benthic ecology is the term scientists use to describe the study of the animals living in or on the bottom of a water body. As part of the DISCOVRE project, the Benthic Ecology Group conducts research to understand community structure, biodiversity, trophic structure, and habitat connectivity of marine benthic ecosystems. The work involves examining the animals living in and on the seafloor in a variety of natural and artificial marine habitats:
- deep-sea and shallow-water corals,
- chemosynthetic seeps,
- shipwrecks,
- marine canyons, and
- wetland communities.
Marine Geology and Geophysics
Geology and geophysics refer to the study of physical structure and associated processes occurring on the planet. The USGS marine geology and geophysics team maps seafloor morphology and images the shallow sub-seafloor structure of the canyons, plateaus, and other components of the deep-sea landscape to better understand the processes that form and shape these features. Sampling sediment and rocks allows scientists to ground truth geophysical and visual observations, while providing valuable information about the composition and age of these underwater geologic environments.
Microbial Ecology
Microbial ecology is the study of microbes (bacteria, archaea, fungi, viruses), how they interact with each other, their host (if they are living on/in a plant or animal), and their environment.
Microbes are responsible for important ecosystem services, including biogeochemical cycling, nutrient availability, and structuring ecosystems by providing settlement cues to some invertebrates. Microbial associates have been shown to be key players in coral biology, serving functions such as fixing nitrogen, chelating iron, cycling waste products, and producing antibiotics to keep unwanted microbes from infecting the coral.
USGS identifies, characterizes, and enumerates environmental microbial communities, which are critical components of healthy marine ecosystems such as coral reefs, chemosynthetic seeps, and submarine canyons, with focus on coral microbiomes (both shallow and deep-sea), ecosystem metagenomics, and biodiversity.
Characterizing the microbial communities associated with deep-sea corals in these environments will increase the knowledge of the biodiversity in these ecosystems and provide insight into the variability or uniqueness of the corals between deep-sea environments.
Paleoclimatology
Paleoclimatology is the study of past climates using evidence found in a variety of the Earth's surfaces. USGS scientists are using long-lived black corals as archives to determine the climate and ocean chemistry over hundreds to thousands of years. Deep-sea corals are extremely useful in determining past climates, and recent developments in coral sampling techniques, as well as the ability to study corals in a wide variety of geographic areas, has increased the value of using deep-sea corals for climate change studies. Coral skeletons have rings, similar to trees, that help scientists determine environmental cycles and ocean variability.
Population Genetics
Population genetics is the study of genetic variation within and between populations. Understanding how the biodiversity of corals and other invertebrates is distributed throughout the deep-sea environment can help guide management of sensitive species, especially in areas of interest to oil and gas exploration. USGS uses genetic tools to characterize biodiversity and local and regional patterns of genetic connectivity among deep-sea coral habitats.
For more information:
CSA Ocean Sciences Inc. Ross S, Brooke S, Baird E, Coykendall E, Davies A, Demopoulos A, France S, Kellogg C, Mather R, Mienis F, Morrison C, Prouty N, Roark B, Robertson C. 2017. Exploration and Research of Mid-Atlantic Deepwater Hard Bottom Habitats and Shipwrecks with Emphasis on Canyons and Coral Communities: Atlantic Deepwater Canyons Study. Draft Report. Sterling (VA): U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Atlantic OCS Region. OCS Study BOEM 2017-060. 1,000 p. + apps.
- Science
Below are science projects associated with DISCOVRE.
- Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 103Seafloor fluid seeps on Kimki Ridge, offshore southern California: Links to active strike-slip faulting
The Kimki Ridge fluid seeps are located in western Catalina Basin about 60 km southwest of the southern California mainland and at a water depth of approximately 1100 m. Multichannel seismic reflection profiles collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in 2014 show acoustic transparency within the Kimki Ridge, suggesting the possibility of fluid seeps and possible sub-seafloor fluid pathways.AuthorsJames E. Conrad, Nancy G. Prouty, Maureen A. L. Walton, Jared W. Kluesner, Katherine L. Maier, Mary McGann, Daniel S. Brothers, Emily C. Roland, Peter DartnellFood-web dynamics and isotopic niches in deep-sea communities residing in a submarine canyon and on the adjacent open slopes
Examination of food webs and trophic niches provide insights into organisms' functional ecology, yet few studies have examined trophodynamics within submarine canyons, where the interaction of canyon morphology and oceanography influences habitat provision and food deposition. Using stable isotope analysis and Bayesian ellipses, we documented deep-sea food-web structure and trophic niches in BaltiAuthorsAmanda W.J. Demopoulos, Jennifer McClain-Counts, Steve W. Ross, Sandra Brooke, Furu MienisUSGS microbiome research
Microbiomes are the communities of microorganisms (for example, bacteria, viruses, and fungi) that live on, in, and around people, plants, animals, soil, water, and the atmosphere. Microbiomes are active in the functioning of diverse ecosystems, for instance, by influencing water quality, nutrient acquisition and stress tolerance in plants, and stability of soil and aquatic environments. MicrobioAuthorsChristina A. Kellogg, M. Camille HopkinsDeep-sea coral research and technology program: Alaska deep-sea coral and sponge initiative final report
Deep-sea coral and sponge ecosystems are widespread throughout most of Alaska’s marine waters. In some places, such as the central and western Aleutian Islands, deep-sea coral and sponge resources can be extremely diverse and may rank among the most abundant deep-sea coral and sponge communities in the world. Many different species of fishes and invertebrates are associated with deep-sea coral andAuthorsChris Rooper, Robert P. Stone, Peter Etnoyer, Christina Conrath, Jennifer Reynolds, H. Gary Greene, Branwen Williams, Enrique Salgado, Cheryl L. Morrison, Rhian G. Waller, Amanda W.J. DemopoulosTrophic structure of mesopelagic fishes in the Gulf of Mexico revealed by gut content and stable isotope analyses
Mesopelagic fishes represent an important component of the marine food web due to their global distributions, high abundances and ability to transport organic material throughout a large part of the water column. This study combined stable isotope (SIAs) and gut content analyses (GCAs) to characterize the trophic structure of mesopelagic fishes in the North-Central Gulf of Mexico. Additionally, thAuthorsJennifer P. McClain-Counts, Amanda W.J. Demopoulos, Steve W. RossSeasonal variability in particulate matter source and composition to the depositional zone of Baltimore Canyon, U.S. Mid-Atlantic Bight
Submarine canyons are often hotspots of biomass and productivity in the deep sea. However, the majority of deep-sea canyons remain poorly sampled. Using a multi-tracer approach, results from a detailed geochemical investigation from a year-long sediment trap deployment reveals details concerning the source, transport, and fate of particulate matter to the depositional zone (1318 m) of Baltimore CAuthorsNancy G. Prouty, Furu Mienis, P. Campbell, E. Brendan Roark, Andrew Davies, Craig M. Robertson, Gerard Duineveld, Steve W. Ross, M. Rhodes, Amanda W.J. DemopoulosBiogeographic comparison of Lophelia-associated bacterial communities in the Western Atlantic reveals conserved core microbiome
Over the last decade, publications on deep-sea corals have tripled. Most attention has been paid to Lophelia pertusa, a globally distributed scleractinian coral that creates critical three-dimensional habitat in the deep ocean. The bacterial community associated with L. pertusa has been previously described by a number of studies at sites in the Mediterranean Sea, Norwegian fjords, off Great BritaAuthorsChristina A. Kellogg, Dawn B. Goldsmith, Michael A. GrayDemersal fish assemblages on seamounts and other rugged features in the northeastern Caribbean
Recent investigations of demersal fish communities in deepwater (>50 m) habitats have considerably increased our knowledge of the factors that influence the assemblage structure of fishes across mesophotic to deep-sea depths. While different habitat types influence deepwater fish distribution, whether different types of rugged seafloor features provide functionally equivalent habitat for fishes isAuthorsAndrea M. Quattrini, Amanda W.J. Demopoulos, Randal Singer, Adela Roa-Varon, Jason D. ChaytorFood-web structure in canyon and slope-associated fauna revealed by stable isotopes
Food webs and associated trophic linkages among organisms are central themes in ecology that provide insight into the structure and function of ecosystems. In the deep sea, food webs rely on particulate flux raining from surface waters for energy (Klages et al. 2003), except for chemosynthetic communities, which rely on in situ production via chemosynthesis (Van Dover 2007). In general, the deep sAuthorsAmanda W. J. Demopoulos, Jennifer P. McClain-Counts, Steve W. Ross, Sandra Brooke, Michael RhodeImpacts of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill on deep-sea coral-associated sediment communities
Cold-water corals support distinct populations of infauna within surrounding sediments that provide vital ecosystem functions and services in the deep sea. Yet due to their sedentary existence, infauna are vulnerable to perturbation and contaminant exposure because they are unable to escape disturbance events. While multiple deep-sea coral habitats were injured by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DWH)AuthorsAmanda W.J. Demopoulos, Jill R. Bourque, Erik E. Cordes, Katherine StamlerBacterial community diversity of the deep-sea octocoral Paramuricea placomus
Compared to tropical corals, much less is known about deep-sea coral biology and ecology. Although the microbial communities of some deep-sea corals have been described, this is the first study to characterize the bacterial community associated with the deep-sea octocoral, Paramuricea placomus. Samples from five colonies of P. placomus were collected from Baltimore Canyon (379–382 m depth) in theAuthorsChristina A. Kellogg, Steve W. Ross, Sandra D. BrookeA phylogenetic perspective on diversity of Galatheoidea (Munida, Munidopsis) from cold-water coral and cold seep communities in the western North Atlantic Ocean
Squat lobsters (Galatheoidea and Chirostyloidea), a diverse group of decapod crustaceans, are ubiquitous members of the deep-sea fauna. Within Galatheoidea, the genera Munida and Munidopsis are the most diverse, but accurate estimates of biodiversity are difficult due to morphological complexity and cryptic diversity. Four species of Munida and nine species of Munidopsis from cold-water coral (CWCAuthorsD. Katharine Coykendall, Martha S. Nizinski, Cheryl L. Morrison - Web Tools
- News
Below are news stories associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 40 - Partners
Below are partners associated with this project.