First Expedition of DEEP SEARCH 2019 Begins!

First Expedition of DEEP SEARCH 2019 Begins!
This bright yellow glass sponge (Hertwigia sp.) is one of many different sponge species found in the southeastern United States. They are so named for the glass-like silicon spicules that support their skeletons. Image courtesy of Brooke et al. 2005, NOAA-OER Florida Deep Corals.

April 09, 2019

From April 9 to 30, 2019, NOAA and partners at the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) will conduct a research expedition on NOAA Ship Ronald H. Brown to collect critical baseline information about deepwater habitats offshore the U.S. Mid- and South Atlantic coasts. This expedition is part of the 4.5-year BOEM-USGS-NOAA Deep Sea Exploration and Research of Coral/Canyon/Cold seep Habitats (DEEP SEARCH) interagency project sponsored by the National Oceanographic Partnership Program (NOPP), with TDI-Brooks International, Inc. as the prime contractor for BOEM, and scientists from USGS and nine academic institutions participating. During this 22-day expedition, remotely operated vehicle (ROV) Jason will be used to explore and sample seafloor environments, complemented by additional shipboard operations including multibeam mapping, multicore collections, and CTD casts.


To read more about this expedition and for updates, please visit NOAA's DEEP SEARCH expedition page.

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