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Surveying deep-water habitats off US West Coast

By Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center November 29, 2018

Researchers from the USGS Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center (PCMSC) participated in a research cruise to survey deep-water coral, sponge, and fish habitats off U.S. West Coast.

Scientists used underwater vehicles to survey deep-water coral and sponge habitats and collect baseline data on essential fish habitat during a month-long cruise along Oregon and California. The expedition was part of a new federal/non-federal partnership, Expanding Pacific Research and Exploration of Submerged Systems (EXPRESS). It was jointly planned by NOAA, BOEM, and USGS. The NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada left Newport, Oregon, on October 11, 2018, and docked in San Diego, California, on November 8. Participants surveyed 15 sites. Results will guide decisions about managing fisheries and offshore energy and mineral resources. Highlights included discovery of potential new species, visits to areas surveyed in 2005 to monitor changes caused by Essential Fish Habitat closures, and water sampling to measure nutrient availability and other properties that affect corals and sponges.

Media
Underwater photo of a rocky outcrop with many multicolored corals growing on it.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
Corals and sponges near La Cruz Canyon, offshore of south-central California.
Media
A woman standing at a table in a laboratory places small clear plastic vials into a plastic baggie.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. View Media Details
 Nancy Prouty from USGS PCMSC prepares water samples.

 

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The continental shelf and slope offshore California, Oregon, and Washington are home to deep-sea corals, chemosynthetic communities, and other sensitive habitats that could be impacted by the development of energy and mineral resources. The EXPRESS (Expanding Pacific Research and Exploration of Submerged Systems) campaign will map and characterize these special areas to help guide ocean management...
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Learn More
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Read Article
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