Cuba’s Twilight Zone Reefs and Their Regional Connectivity

Cuba’s Twilight Zone Reefs and Their Regional Connectivity
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Mission Summary

From May 15 - June 13, 2017, the R/V F.G. Walton Smith circumnavigated Cuba, conducting daily remotely operated vehicle dives to focus on the mesophotic reef sites at depths of 30-150 meters. The purpose of the research expedition was to, in collaboration with our Cuban scientific partners, 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.

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Recent Updates

Prior to this expedition, there was very little known about the deep-water reefs along Cuba’s coastline. We set sail for Cuba on a dream that had taken nearly two years to implement. By any criterion, this expedition was an outstanding success. Read the mission summary of the expedition here.

Cuba’s Twilight Zone Reefs Expedition Summary

Prior to this expedition, there was very little known about the deep-water reefs along Cuba’s coastline. We set sail for Cuba on a dream that had taken nearly two years to implement. By any criterion, this expedition was an outstanding success. Read the mission summary of the expedition here.

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The final week of our expedition has focused on mesophotic sites along the Northern coast of Cuba from Punta Maisí on the eastern tip of Cuba to Havana. We expected conditions here to be some of the most challenging of the expedition.
Diversity on a Grand Scale
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The ROV sample collection skid, including the manipulator, is the key to successful specimen sampling during our mission. Samples can vary widely in their structural integrity. Read more about careful sample collection here.
The Art of the Claw
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Five days have passed since we left the port of Cienfuegos, exchanged portions of the scientific team, and started our 1000-mile journey. The team first explored three locations seaward from the “Golfo de Ana Maria, and the “Gulf of Guacanayabo”. Learn more about exploration off the southern coast of Cuba here.
The Southern Coast of Cuba
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Mission Logs
Mission Logs
Image Gallery
Image Gallery
For Educators
For Educators
Background Information
Background Information
Meet the Explorers
Meet the Explorers
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