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We are investigating the role that the mesophotic reefs of Pulley Ridge (off the southwest coast of Florida) may play in replenishing key fish species, such as grouper and snapper, and other organisms in the downstream reefs of the Florida Keys and Dry Tortugas. Because of the well-documented decline of Florida’s reefs, it is important to identify, protect, and manage sources of larvae that can help sustain Florida’s reef ecosystems and the tourism economy that depends on it. |
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We are investigating the role that the mesophotic reefs of Pulley Ridge (off the southwest coast of Florida) may play in replenishing key fish species, such as grouper and snapper, and other organisms in the downstream reefs of the Florida Keys and Dry Tortugas. Because of the well-documented decline of Florida’s reefs, it is important to identify, protect, and manage sources of larvae that can help sustain Florida’s reef ecosystems and the tourism economy that depends on it. |
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<DIV STYLE="text-align:Left;"><DIV><DIV><P STYLE="margin:0 0 0 0;"><SPAN>Three research cruises were conducted in 2012, 2013 and 2014 to the region of Pulley Ridge and Dry Tortugas to study and survey the mesophotic reef communities and fish populations. Pulley Ridge is the deepest known photosynthetic coral reef in continental U.S. waters and is located in the Gulf of Mexico, 100 miles west of the Dry Tortugas at the far end of the Florida Keys. The University of Miami’s R/V Walton Smith Cruise No. WS1213 was conducted August 14-25, 2012 (SEADESC I Report, Reed et al. 2012) and Cruise No. WS1312 was conducted August 12-27, 2013. A combined 2012-2013 Cruise Report was submitted October 1, 2014 (Reed et al. 2014). In 2014, cruise WS1412 was conducted August 14-28. This report herein will focus solely on the results of the 2014 cruise and emphasizing the coral cover and health results.</SPAN></P><P STYLE="margin:0 0 0 0;"><SPAN /></P><P STYLE="margin:0 0 0 0;"><SPAN><SPAN>This research and cruises were funded by the NOAA-NOS-NCCOS grant titled ‘Connectivity of the Pulley Ridge - South Florida Coral Reef Ecosystem: Processes to Decision-Support Tools’. Ship and ROV time was funded in part by the Cooperative Institute for Ocean Exploration, Research, and Technology (CIOERT) at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute-Florida Atlantic University (HBOI-FAU). These cruises were conducted in collaboration with the University of Miami, HBOI-CIOERT, NOAA Fisheries, and the University of North Carolina at Wilmington which operates the Mohawk ROV, owned by Flower Gardens National Marine Sanctuary.</SPAN></SPAN></P><P STYLE="margin:0 0 0 0;"><SPAN /><SPAN /></P><P STYLE="margin:0 0 0 0;"><SPAN>Reed, J., S. Farrington, S. Harter, H. Moe, D. Hanisak, and A. David. 2015. Characterization of the Mesophotic Benthic Habitat and Fish Assemblages from ROV Dives on Pulley Ridge and Tortugas during 2014 R/V Walton Smith Cruises. NOAA Cooperative Institute for Ocean Exploration, Research and Technology, Miami, FL. 133 pp.</SPAN></P><P STYLE="margin:0 0 0 0;"><SPAN /></P><P STYLE="margin:0 0 0 0;"><SPAN>Reed, J., S. Farrington, H. Moe, S. Harter, D. Hanisak, and A. David. 2014. Characterization of the Mesophotic Benthic Habitat and Fish Assemblages from ROV Dives on Pulley Ridge and Tortugas during 2012 and 2013 R/V Walton Smith Cruises. NOAA Cooperative Institute for Ocean Exploration, Research and Technology, Miami, FL. 51 pp.</SPAN></P></DIV></DIV></DIV> |