The essays below will help you to understand the goals and objectives of the mission and provide additional context and information about the places being explored and the science, tools, and technologies being used.
May 15 - June 13, 2017 | By John Reed
The purpose of our research expedition, in collaboration with our Cuban scientific partners, is to discover and characterize the extent of mesophotic reefs in Cuba and to compare the health and connectivity (physical, genetic and ecological) among the mesophotic and shallow coral reef systems in Cuba and the United States.
Read moreBy Bill Kiene
Cuba lies at the confluence of the Gulf of Mexico, Western Atlantic, and the Caribbean Sea. Cuba’s marine environment is a biological generator that powers the region’s ocean ecosystem. As a consequence, conserving ocean species and places in U.S. waters is incomplete unless the U.S. engages with Cuba to strengthen the connections that sustain our common ocean resources.
Read moreBy Kimberly Puglise
Little is known or understood about mesophotic coral ecosystems. Investigations into the mesophotic zone have been hampered by technology. However, advances in undersea technologies, such as technical diving and shallow remotely operated vehicles, in the past decade have begun to make investigating these ecosystems possible.
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