Education: Themes: Deep-sea Canyons: Multimedia: NOAA Ocean Exploration

Octopod

Octopod (Graneledone verrucosa) seen while diving in Hudson Canyon during the 2021 ROV Shakedown.

Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument

September 15, 2021, marks the five-year anniversary of the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument.

Massive Massive

The ROV Deep Discoverer explores a sheer carbonate wall over 120 meters in height—taller than the Cliffs of Dover.

Funnel to the Deep

On July 8, we explored Washington Canyon, located off the coast of Virginia within the Frank R. Lautenberg Deep-Sea Coral Protection Area. Canyons like this one in the mid-Atlantic link the shallower waters of the continental shelf to the deep sea, funneling sediment and organic carbon (food!) to deeper waters and creating potentially good habitat for a variety of animals...and indeed, we saw several of these animals during our dive!

St. Croix’s Wonder Wall

This video illustrates how erosion acting on layers of different strength has created a pronounced stepped texture in this beautiful canyon. Here, harder material is resistant to erosion and forms thin benches and overhangs, providing substrate for a number of different organisms

Exploration of Phoenix Canyon

This highlight video takes us to Phoenix Canyon to explore deepwater biodiversity within the western North Atlantic.

This 5:25 highlight video takes us to Hendrickson Canyon off the coast of New Jersey to find large bamboo coral, and substantial biodiversity within the coral habitats, including the graceful rock face climb of an octopus. Explorers test the sediment depth with a probe affectionately called 'Sepoke.'

Exploration of Hendrickson Canyon

Highlights from exploration of Hendrickson Canyon off the coast of New Jersey, including large bamboo coral and substantial biodiversity within the coral habitats.

2016 Hohonu Moana Expedition

Dr. Daniel Wagner narrates this highlight video of some of the extraordinary life encountered during dives on the 2016 Hohonu Moana expedition, including dives to explore submarine canyons.

This 5 minute highlight video of the exploration of a canyon off the northeast coast of the U.S. reveals a field of xenophyophores (the world's largest single-celled organisms), a fish skeleton, octopi on canyon walls, a tongue worm, and much more!

Exploring east of Veatch Canyon

Highlight video of the exploration of a canyon off the northeast coast of the U.S. reveals a field of xenophyophores (the world's largest single-celled organisms) and much more!

Monkfish

Monkfish, or goosefish, seen while exploring Washington Canyon at a depth of approximately 660 meters during the 2014 Our Deepwater Backyard: Exploring Atlantic Canyons and Seamounts expedition.

Predation in a Deep-sea Canyon

Swarms of squid were seen while diving in Norfolk Canyon; the squid were feeding and being fed upon.

Alvin Canyon

Highlights from a dive conducted on Alvin Canyon to explore the diversity of canyon geomorphology and benthic habitats from 926 to 863 meters depth.

Northeast U.S. Canyons Expedition 2013. Dive 08 was conducted in Atlantis Canyon, exploring the east wall between 1,800 meters and 1,600 meters to characterize canyon geomorphology and benthic habitats. The science team discusses the value of Telepresence technology, a close up view of sea pen anatomy, and the variety of corals found.

East Wall of Atlantis Canyon

Highlights from a dive in Atlantis Canyon to to characterize canyon geomorphology and benthic habitats.

This video captures highlights from the 15 dives that were conducted during Leg 2 of the expedition from the ROV Deep Discoverer and the Seirios camera platform from the Mytilus Seamount along the northeastern coast of the United States.

Canyons and Intercanyons

This video captures highlights from the 15 dives that were conducted during Leg 2 of the Northeast U.S. Canyons Expedition 2013.

This map displays the operating area of the Exploring Carolina Canyons 2016 expedition. Three submarine canyons (Keller, Hatteras, Pamlico) off the coast of North Carolina were surveyed for deep-sea coral habitats

Invertebrates on Canyon Wall

A diverse assemblage of invertebrates on a canyon in 2019. This assemblage included sea stars, yellow and purple octocorals, flame scallops, and anemones.

Canyon Wall

The mechanical arm of ROV Deep Discoverer can be seen while surveying a stunning, near-vertical sequence of carbonate rock at Veatch Canyon. The wall was over 100 meters thick.

Saba Valley Region

This image shows multibeam bathymetry of canyons in the Saba Valley region within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone of the Caribbean. This large, fascinating canyon area had never been previously mapped with multibeam surveys.

Exploring Carolina Canyons

This map displays the operating area of the Exploring Carolina Canyons 2016 expedition.

Microhabitats

Currents sweep past an overhang of rock at 1,152 meters depth in Oceanographer Canyon, creating an ideal microhabitat for a deepwater coral community and octopods.

Exploring Atlantic Canyons

Highlight images from Leg 2 of the 2014 Our Deepwater Backyard: Exploring Atlantic Canyons and Seamounts Expedition include jellyfish, sea anemones, fishes, crabs, squid, and more!

Pancake Urchin

A pancake urchin moves across some discarded human debris in McMaster Canyon during the 2014 Our Deepwater Backyard: Exploring Atlantic Canyons and Seamounts expedition.

Rock Ledge

Often multiple species of invertebrates are found co-occurring on rock ledges and canyon walls.

Bobtail Squid

Throughout the 2013 Northeast U.S. Canyons Expedition we saw several cephalopods, but few were as cute as this bobtail squid!

King Crab

A king crab explores the soft sediment.

Deepwater Mid-Atlantic Canyons Project

The primary target areas for the Deepwater Mid-Atlantic Canyons Project were in and around the Norfolk, Washington, Accomac, and Baltimore canyons.

General bathymetry of the coastal ocean in the New York-New Jersey metropolitan region. Detailed bathymetric data provides a framework for future exploration.

Hudson Canyon

Overhead view of Hudson Canyon, offshore New York. The transect demonstrates the width and relief of the canyon, with the Empire State Building for scale.

In this 16 minute video, Martha Nizinski, a zoologist with NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service, discusses previous Atlantic canyon mapping cruises and deepwater coral habitat exploration. She describes submarine canyons, the geological, biological and physical oceanography of these regions, and the value of their exploration.

Martha Nizinski, NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Zoologist

In this 16-minute video, Martha Nizinski discusses previous Atlantic canyon mapping cruises and deepwater coral habitat exploration.

Education Theme: Deep-sea Canyons

Multimedia