Coral Ecosystem Connectivity 2015: From Pulley Ridge to the Florida Keys

Coral Ecosystem Connectivity 2015: From Pulley Ridge to the Florida Keys

Image and Video Gallery

This page contains photos and videos associated with the Coral Ecosystem Connectivity 2015: From Pulley Ridge to the Florida Keys expedition. Click on any image or video to view a larger version and for additional information.

[video] Highlights from the Mowawk ROV Dives

Highlights from the Mowawk ROV Dives

The video represents highlights from the Mohawk remotely operated vehicle dives from our fourth and final field season of scientific surveys of Pulley Ridge.

[video] Recovery of the Mohawk remotely operated vehicle.

Recovery of the Mohawk remotely operated vehicle.

Video showing the recovery of the Mohawk remotely operated vehicle as weather conditions began to deteriorate as a result of Tropical Storm Erika.

[video] The Mohawk remotely operated vehicle is launched onto Pulley Ridge.

The Mohawk remotely operated vehicle is launched onto Pulley Ridge.

The Mohawk remotely operated vehicle is launched onto Pulley Ridge. During the four-hour dive, we came across several grouper pits populated by a variety of fish species including the invasive (and unwelcome) lionfish, Pterois volitans.

Our Community Structure Team has crisscrossed Pulley Ridge

Crisscrossing Pulley Ridge

Our Community Structure Team has crisscrossed Pulley Ridge.

Large areas of the plate coral Agaricia

Large areas of the plate coral Agaricia.

Atlas V rocket launched from Cape Canaveral

Atlas V rocket launched from Cape Canaveral.

Coral inexplicably half dead, with no clear sign of cause

Half Dead Coral

Coral inexplicably half dead, with no clear sign of cause.

The Mohawk ROV is poised to collect a sample

Sample Collection

The Mohawk ROV is poised to collect a sample.

A sample bucket from the ROV contains a crinoid

A sample bucket from the ROV contains a crinoid.

Carrying a sample from the ROV Bio Box

Carrying a sample from the ROV Bio Box.

The ROV collects a sample of Spongosorites

The ROV collects a sample of Spongosorites.

A pipefish encountered by the ROV

A pipefish encountered by the ROV.

The remotely operated vehicle lab during a dive

The remotely operated vehicle lab during a dive.

The view from Rebecca Shoal looking towards the Gulf of Mexico

The view from Rebecca Shoal looking towards the Gulf of Mexico.

A water spout formed in the distance

A water spout formed in the distance.

A mixed sky included a beautiful sunset

A mixed sky included a beautiful sunset.

Successful recovery of the Physical Oceanography moorings

Lance Horn in the pilot seat.

First sighting of Oceanapia, a spectacular sponge, on Pulley Ridge

First sighting of Oceanapia, a spectacular sponge, on Pulley Ridge.

The planned track for today’s remotely operated vehicle (ROV) dive

The planned track for today’s remotely operated vehicle (ROV) dive.

Successful recovery of the Physical Oceanography moorings

Successful Recovery

Successful recovery of the Physical Oceanography moorings.

Mooring lines fouled by a multitude of organisms

Mooring lines fouled by a multitude of organisms.

Deploying a satellite-tracked surface drifting buoy

Surface Drifting Buoy

Deploying a satellite-tracked surface drifting buoy.

Satellite imagery from NOAA shows a swath of chlorophyll

Swath of Chlorophyll

Satellite imagery from NOAA shows a swath of chlorophyll.

The ROV stretches the suction hose out

The ROV stretches the suction hose out.

Gouges across the bottom likely caused by bottom trawling for fish.

Gouges across the bottom likely caused by bottom trawling for fish.

The purple reeffish, Chromis scotti, on a mesophotic coral reef

Purple Reeffish

The purple reeffish, Chromis scotti, on a mesophotic coral reef.

Samples collected with the suction hose

A school of cardinal fish, Apogon sp.

Identifying fish species on a monitor.

Identifying Fish

Identifying fish species on a monitor.

The Mohawk remotely operated vehicle (ROV)

The Mohawk remotely operated vehicle (ROV).

Samples collected with the suction hose

Samples collected with the suction hose.

The bio box opens like a drawer to receive samples

The bio box opens like a drawer to receive samples.

Carrying sample bins full of specimens from the remotely operated vehicle

Carrying sample bins full of specimens from the remotely operated vehicle.

An unidentified Rhodophyta, or red alga, collected by the Mohawk

An unidentified Rhodophyta, or red alga, collected by the Mohawk.

John Reed and I remove specimens from the sample bins

John Reed and I remove specimens from the sample bins.

The Mohawk remotely operated vehicle over the stern of the R/V Walton Smith

The Mohawk remotely operated vehicle over the stern of the R/V Walton Smith.

Agaricia spp. coral among the benthic communities on Pulley Ridge

Agaricia spp. coral among the benthic communities on Pulley Ridge.

The planned track for our first remotely operated vehicle (ROV) dive

The planned track for our first remotely operated vehicle (ROV) dive.

The Mohawk ROV (right) shares the deck with a CTD rosette

The Mohawk ROV (right) shares the deck with a CTD rosette.

Chief Scientist Dennis Hanisak takes in the scenery

Chief Scientist Dennis Hanisak takes in the scenery.

A spectacular sunset in the Florida Keys

A spectacular sunset in the Florida Keys.

Project area showing Pulley Ridge

Project area showing Pulley Ridge.

The SubAtlantic Mohawk 18 remotely operated vehicle

SubAtlantic Mohawk 18

The SubAtlantic Mohawk 18 remotely operated vehicle.

A larval squirrelfish of the Family Holocentridae

Larval Squirrelfish

A larval squirrelfish of the Family Holocentridae.

University of Miami's technical dive team

Installing a Current Profiler

University of Miami's technical dive team.

Plate corals, Agaricia sp., on Pulley Ridge

Plate corals, Agaricia sp., on Pulley Ridge.

The red grouper, Ephinephelus morio

The red grouper, Ephinephelus morio.

Map of Pulley Ridge Habitat Area of Particular Concern showing multibeam sonar

Map of Pulley Ridge

Map of Pulley Ridge Habitat Area of Particular Concern showing multibeam sonar.

Some of the species of algae found on Pulley Ridge

Species of Algae

Some of the species of algae found on Pulley Ridge.

Example of corals and algae found on Pulley Ridge

Corals and Algae

Example of corals and algae found on Pulley Ridge.

Red grouper Epinephelus morio in pit with purple reef fish Chromis scotti on Pulley Ridge.

Red grouper Epinephelus morio in pit with purple reef fish Chromis scotti on Pulley Ridge.

Scamp grouper at 95 meters off the Dry Tortugas

Scamp grouper at 95 meters off the Dry Tortugas.

The dominant communities providing structural habitat at Pulley Ridge

Coralline Algae

The dominant communities providing structural habitat at Pulley Ridge.

The job of the “Community Structure Team” is to document the ecologically important benthic community of Pulley Ridge.

Super Phantom S2

The University of North Carolina at Wilminton’s Super Phantom S2.

A close-up of the anthiid fish known as the roughtongue bass

A close-up of the anthiid fish known as the roughtongue bass.

Shallow water colony of the great star coral, Montastraea cavernosa

Great Star Coral

Shallow water colony of the great star coral, Montastraea cavernosa.

The giant barrel sponge, Xestospongia muta

Giant Barrel Sponge

The giant barrel sponge, Xestospongia muta.

Map for potential inclusion into the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

Potential Inclusion

This map depicts the areas, including Pulley Ridge, under study by the Sanctuary Advisory Council for potential inclusion into the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

Coral Reef Populations

Larval Trajectories

Coral Reef Populations.

Sources of Larvae to Pulley Ridge

Sources of Larvae to Pulley Ridge.

Connectivity Through Time

Arrival of Bicolor Damselfish

Connectivity Through Time.

Flora and fauna of Pulley Ridge mesophotic reef

Flora And Fauna

Flora and fauna of Pulley Ridge mesophotic reef.